Discovering Hearts
by OceanSapphire
Summary: When Lou is injuried and taken care for by a nurse and he falls in love with her, what happens? Lou/OC. Rated T for Teen. WARNING: CHAPTERS AFTER TWENTY-EIGHT ARE SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3.
1. Chapter 1

And here's another Flashpoint Character/Original Character story! This is a Lou/Nikka(my OC) story, which I hope you will enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Timmy's (Tim Hortens), Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

Enjoy!

* * *

Lou blinked rapidly to adjust to the bright lights above his bed. He slowly turned his head to take in his surrounding as he remembered what had happened to place him in the hospital. 'I got shot, I'm guessing.' He thought as he looked down to see the bandages wrapped around his upper right-hand chest and shoulder.

"You're awake, Mr. Young. How are you feeling?" A nurse asked as she stepped into the room.

"I'm a feeling alright." He told her as she stepped forward, letting him get a glimpse of her name tag. 'Nikka', it read.

"That's good. You were out all night, Mr. Young." She informed him, checking his bandages as he watched her, with her short brown hair held away from her face with a few clips.

"What happened to me?" he asked, watching her jot down a small note on her clipboard.

Nikka looked up, her blue eyes meeting his brown ones. "You were shot straight through the shoulder. You lost a bit of blood but you should be out of here in a day or two." He nodded as she finished jotting down notes on her clipboard. "Can I get you something to eat, Mr. Young?" she asked as she clipped the pen onto the clipboard.

"Could I get some food? I'm a little hungry." He confessed as his stomach growled loudly.

Nikka couldn't stop a smile from emerging on her face. "I'll bring some right in." She promised before leaving the room. She returned shortly, holding a tray full of hospital food. "Here you go, Mr.-"

Lou cut her off as he grabbed the tray from her hands, their fingers touching for a moment. "You could also call me Lou. And you're Nikka, right?" He asked her, noting how warm her hands were.

Nikka smiled at Lou as she replied. "Then Lou it is. And yes, it is Nikka. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Could you call my team? I'd bet they're worried about me." Lou asked as he dug into the hospital food. As cardboard like as it was, it was still food. "And ask them to bring some real food." He added as an afterthought.

Nikka laughed openly at that, and agreed. "I'll make sure to tell them." Nikka left the room to make the phone call to the SRU headquarters, leaving Lou to think. Nikka was pretty, no doubt about that. She had short brown hair, stunning blue eyes, light brown skin and was just a little bit shorter than him. She seemed interesting, he mused as the object of his thoughts stepped back into the room.

Nikka was also thinking about the new person she had met. Lewis 'Lou' Young was a handsome man around her age. He also had deep brown eyes and an amazing smile. "They're glad to hear from you, and promised to pop by later with Timmy's. Is there anything else I can do for you, Lou?"

Lou quickly decided what he was going to do. "I was wondering if you'd go out with me."

Nikka's breath froze in her throat for a moment before she managed to answer. "I have to decline, Lou. It's against hospital rules to fraternize with hospital patients. If that's all, I'll see you later." Nikka made a swift exit, not trusting herself to stay inside that room any longer. She slowed down a few doors away, and quietly damned that hospital rule. If it weren't for that rule, she would have taken him up on that offer.

Lou himself could easily tell what the answer would have been if not for..."Hospital rules, huh? I guess I'll be coming back here after I'm discharged." He murmured to himself as he relaxed against the pillow with a smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's another chapter of **Discovering Hearts** up for you! If you have any requests for me, either with this story or for Spike/Alexis, please let me know!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka and Lily.

Enjoy!

* * *

Nikka stepped inside the hospital, calling a greeting to the few people she saw. This being the ten p.m. to six a.m. shift, there weren't many visitors in the hallways. As she threw her purse into her cubby hole, her mind wandered back to Lou. The next time she had stopped in his room to check on him, things had seemed normal. They had talked about everything from the simple topics to fairly complicated debates. After he had been discharged, she tried to put him from her mind but his deep brown eyes always came to her mind whenever she wasn't busy.

Sighing, she turned around and saw one of her friends, Lily Razara. "Hey Lily. Just getting off shift?" she asked, taking in the female paramedic with bags under her eyes.

"Yup, a long ten hour." She replied, yawning.

"Not getting much sleep?"

"Nightmares again." Lily attempted to crack a smile. "Still trying to get over that patient."

Nikka nodded understandingly; there were those patients that were tragic and took a while to get over. "You need anything at all, just give me a call." Nikka called to her friend as she exited the hospital. Nikka stood and watched her friend until she got in her car, as several robberies had taken place nearby recently.

As her friend drove away, Nikka turned to walk deeper into the hospital. She picked up her clipboard from the front desk, and started on her rounds through the hospital's short-term ward—a ward full of people who were only in the hospital for a short time.

Nikka made her rounds, but her mind wasn't fully on the job. Lou's brown eyes were constantly lingering on the fringes of her mind. Around eleven, a voice interrupted her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Lou asked, smiling as she turned to face him. Seeing her with that slight smile on her face made him remember how very pretty and interesting she was. He had enjoyed his conversations with her while he was in the hospital, as it allowed him to learn more about her while keeping from being bored.

Nikka smiled at Lou, who was leaning on the wall. "I think my thoughts are worth more than that. Having trouble with your shoulder?" Nikka asked, shifting her clipboard from in front of her to her side as she wondered about his reasons for coming back. It wouldn't be for her, would it?

Lou shook his head as he rolled his shoulder. "Nah, its fine. The doctor fixed it up right. I was actually here to ask you something."

"And what would that be?" Nikka asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Would you go out with me?" Lou asked, looking Nikka straight in the eye.

"It's against-" Nikka began her token protest before Lou cut her off by rolling his eyes.

"I'm not your patient anymore since I've been discharged, so there aren't any rules for asking you out." He told her, a slight smirk emerging on his face.

Nikka's face flushed slightly but she was smiling. She didn't really want to say no to Lou, who she found very interesting. Not to mention handsome. "True."

"So....will you go out with me?" Lou asked again, sure that she didn't have any way to get out of it.

"Sure." Nikka replied, a smile growing on her face.

"Glad to hear it. How about the festival going on downtown?" he asked, shifting from leaning against the wall to standing.

"Sounds good." Nikka replied, running her hand through her hair and letting a bit fall on her face.

"Alright then; meet me at the corner of Lawrence Avenue at six o'clock on Wednesday." He told her, stepping closer.

"I'll be waiting there for you." Nikka meet his brown eyes with her blue ones as he reached a hand up to brush back the bit of hair that had fallen on her face. Lou stepped back as Nikka fought down a blush appearing on her cheeks because of his touch.

"See you then, Nikka." Lou told her as he walked away with a smile on his face.

"See you then." She replied softly, heart thumping in her chest. She stood there for a moment before forcing herself to get back to work, though Lou's brown eyes continued to dance in her head.


	3. Chapter 3

I swear, this story has been edited to death! The last time I went over it, I couldn't find many mistakes! I hope you all enjoy, as it has been almost a week since this story has been updated! I hope a time lapse won't happen again!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

Enjoy!

* * *

Nikka stood patiently on the corner of Lawrence Avenue, waiting for Lou to show up. As she waited, she leaned against a pole and pulled out her watch, which read 5:57. 'Guess I'm a little early' she thought to herself as she examined her outfit. Faded jeans paired with a blue short-sleeve shirt.

"Hey!" Lou called to her as he walked up. "Sorry if I'm late; I got caught up at work." He had on a pair of dark jeans and red shirt.

"Actually..." Nikka checked her watch as she pushed herself off the pole. 5:59. "You're a minute early." She told him, holding up her watch.

"And you were earlier. Sorry for keeping you waiting." Lou said, making Nikka laugh. "What?"

"Do you always apologize this much?" she asked, forcing herself not to laugh.

"Sor-Oh here I go again." He muttered as Nikka lost her self-control and laughed. She managed to stop laughing a minute later, and smiled at him.

"My turn to apologize now. Sorry for laughing at you, but that was too good to pass up."

Lou simply shook his head at her. "I guess that makes sense. Well, to the festival?" he asked, gesturing with one arm.

"Of course." Nikka replied, gesturing for him to start. Lou complied and began walking, Nikka falling in step beside him. "Seen anything good on TV since you got home?" she asked.

"I watched Planet Earth last night. Those cave glow worms still creep me out."

"Oh, scared of the big bad bugs?" Nikka asked, a slight laugh escaping her.

Lou rolled his eyes at her. "I never said I was scared, just that they were creepy." He replied as they stepped onto the festival grounds. "Well, where to first?" he asked, looking around.

"Not sure; I haven't been to many festivals in Toronto." Nikka replied as they roamed the festival.

"And you've been to festivals where else?" Lou raised an eyebrow at Nikka, who simply shrugged.

"Let's see..." Nikka tilted her head back as she began to think. "Italy, Korea, Greece, Vietnam, France, England, Afghanistan, Cuba, Mexico, Pakistan," Nikka stopped as Lou stared at her.

"You've been all over the world!" he exclaimed.

Nikka shrugged slightly. "My dad moved around a lot. He's a traveling doctor; he's still overseas. I came here to live with mom when I was nineteen; I was getting tired of not staying in one place for more than two months."

Lou shook his head at her. "You were traveling the world and you decided to settle down here? Strange, most people would travel the world."

Nikka shrugged again as she step sided a vendor. "It was loneliness combined with a desire for a home that made me stop, I guess."

Lou nodded, understanding dawning on him. "Not staying in one place for long didn't let you make many friends, did it?"

Nikka nodded. "I was the outcast in most places, as I couldn't really speak the language. Or by the time I started to make friends, we were moving again." She looked up at Lou. "But enough about me. What about you?"

Lou shrugged now. "Not too much to tell. I've lived here all my life, and ran with some rough gangs. I got out though, so that's all that counts. You hungry?" he asked, gesturing to the food cart nearby.

Nikka smiled slightly. "Just a bit." She replied, pulling out her money.

Lou pushed her money back. "I'll get it. A hot dog?"

Nikka shook her head. "Hamburgers are better."

"Got it." Lou stepped up to the food cart and bought one hot dog, one hamburger and a bag of cotton candy. "Here." He told her, handing her the bag of cotton candy and her hamburger.

Nikka's smile widened as she dug into the hamburger. "Thanks." She said as Lou dug into his own hot dog.

They continued to walk and soon finished their meat. As Nikka opened the cotton candy bag, she offered some to Lou. "Want some?"

Lou shook his head. "I'm full."

Nikka gave him a quizzical look. "How can you be full after just that?" she asked, shaking her head.

"I grew up not always being able to get a lot of food, so I got used to not having much food." Lou told her as they wandered past various booths.

"Makes sense, I suppose." Nikka said as her eyes caught on the cutest little stuffed panda she had ever seen. Looking up slightly, she was disappointed to find that it was the ball throwing game; she had terrible aim.

Lou caught what she was looking at and grinned; being the SRU meant that he had great aim. "Wait here." He murmured to her, stepping up to play in the next round. He won easily and pointed to the panda, which was handed to him.

Lou turned back to Nikka and handed her the panda. "Thanks!" she said, a bright smile on her face, but it was her eyes that caught his attention. Her blue eyes were shining and his mind couldn't help but to remember those eyes. "You didn't have to, but thanks!" Nikka's voice snapped him out of his near trance and he looked down at her.

"No problem." Lou rubbed the back of his head.

Nikka couldn't help but beam at Lou; people rarely were kind to her and so even something small like this put her in a wonderful mood. "What do you want to do?" she asked, looking around with the panda under one arm while she finished the cotton candy with the other.

"Not sure; want to go see what's happening over there?" he asked, pointing towards a large crowd.

"Sure." Nikka replied, letting Lou lead the way. Reaching the crowd, they could see a play being put on.

"Want to stay and watch?" Lou asked, looking down at Nikka. Nikka nodded, so they sat on top of a picnic table. Lou sat a little further back than Nikka on the picnic table, his legs folded underneath him while Nikka sat in front, her legs dangling off the edge of the table. The play was an interesting drama and both of them were paying close attention.

As the play wore on, Nikka leaned back onto Lou. Lou didn't move, simply enjoying feeling her being close to him. Nikka was an intriguing person who he felt deeply for, probably deeper than he'd ever felt before.

Nikka herself was also incredibly happy and she couldn't help but smile as she leaned against Lou. He was such a wonderful guy, and he brought out feelings she wasn't used to having. She'd never gotten this close to someone this fast before, especially not a guy. She had to admit, she didn't mind. Lou was an attractive man, both in body and mind.

After the play ended around nine o'clock, neither of the two moved for a few minutes. Finally, Lou spoke softly, not wanting to startle Nikka. "How'd you like it?"

Nikka tilted her head up with a soft smile on her face to look at him. "It was interesting; I haven't seen that one before. What about you?" she asked, pushing herself up to a sitting position while still leaning against Lou.

"I liked it. It made me think, that's for certain." He replied, unfolding his legs.

Nikka laughed softly as she stood up and stretched on the picnic table. "Looks like the festivals over." She remarked.

Lou nodded, and offered a hand to help her down. Nikka accepted his hand and hopped down to stand next to him. "Can I get your phone number?" he asked his own phone in his other hand.

"Only if you give me yours." she said as she pulled out her own phone, her hand tingling slightly from his touch.

"Sure." They exchanged phones, and placed their numbers the others phone. "I'm guessing you know that I'm going to call you again, right?" he asked as they gave each other back their own phone.

"Right." She replied as they started to walk in the direction of the street. They walked in silence towards the street and paused on the corner.

"Would you mind if I walked with you to your place?" Lou asked, not wanting to let her walk alone as he was afraid she might get hurt.

"I wouldn't mind at all." She told him, smiling as she led him down the street. "It's not that far, anyway." They continued to talk about the play and other things that came to mind until Nikka stopped in front of her building. "This is my apartment building. I'll be hearing from you?" she asked, finding herself nervous.

"Of course." Lou said, smiling at her. "I'll call you soon." He brushed a strand of hair away from her face before he walked away. Nikka smiled and waved goodbye, a slight blush on her face, before heading inside.


	4. Chapter 4

Here is a fourth chapter for everyone! This chapter is dedicated to **speedlesweetie**, who has guessed pretty much everything that happens in this chapter already, as well as helping me. Thank you so much!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka and her father.

Enjoy!

* * *

Nikka yawned as she leaned on her counter. She hadn't gotten much sleep after her shift last night. And after waking up over and over again, she had given up getting any restful sleep around nine o'clock in the morning. Simply to keep from boredom, she had begun to clean. Now, around one o'clock in the afternoon, her apartment was clean and she had nothing to do. The only thing she could think to do was go back to sleep but she didn't feel like sleeping.

As Nikka contemplated what to do, her cell phone began to ring. Picking it up, the name on it made her smile. Flipping it open, she spoke. "Hey Lou. How've you been?"

Walking towards his SUV with Spike by his side, he smiled at the sound of her voice. "Hey Nikka. I've been alright; I was wondering if you were up to anything right now."

"Nope, I'm completely open. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering you want to play basketball at the park on Calugar Avenue? It's right near your apartment." He asked as he leaned against his SUV, Spike standing in front of him.

"I'll meet you there." She told him, smiling.

"Last person there has to buy ice cream." He said before ending the phone call.

Spike grinned at him. "So?"

Lou mock glared at him. "I was going to call her." He defended himself.

Spike rolled his eyes and patted his friend's shoulder. "You've been saying that for the past two days, Lou. I figured it was time to take some action. Are you going to thank me or not?" Lou sighed and poked Spike, who clutched his chest dramatically. "I've been wounded!" he cried, making Lou laugh.

"I'm sure you girlfriend will kiss it better." Lou teased.

"I'm sure Alexis will. And you'd better hurry up or you're going to end up buying ice cream!" Spike said as he backed away, smiling.

"Tell Alexis I say 'hi'!" Lou called as he stepped into his SUV and started it.

"Will do!" Spike yelled, waving to his friend as he drove out of the parking garage.

Nikka smiled as hung up the phone, already heading to the shower. She'd been unable to get Lou's eyes out of her head for the past two days and she'd been worried that he wouldn't call her back. She showered quickly and changed into a pair of shorts and a light green tank top. She quickly pulled on her sneakers and headed downstairs. She walked quickly through the streets; ending up at Calugar Avenue ten minutes after Lou had called, still beating him. She grabbed a seat on one of the picnic tables and began to wait for him. Five minutes later, a SUV drove into the parking lot with Lou at the wheel. Smiling, she stepped off the bench as he stepped out of his SUV.

"You beat me again!" he called over to her.

"I win the ice cream!" she cheered as he walked over with basketball in hand.

"Ready to play?" Lou asked as they walked over to the empty basketball court.

"Only if you are." She replied as he tossed her the ball. "Go!" she cried, dodging swiftly around him. Lou spun, knocking the ball out of her hands. Nikka, grinning, pivoted and attempted to win the ball back from him.

Their match lasted about an hour-and-a-half, leaving them both tired and unsure of the score.

"I won." Lou said tiredly, tossing the ball in the air and catching it.

"No, you didn't. It was a tie, since neither of us were keeping score." Nikka replied, wiping sweat from her face.

"But I still owe you ice cream," he replied, tossing the ball in the back of his SUV. "Hop in; I know a good place near here."

Nikka nodded and scrambled into the passenger seat as Lou started his SUV. "You're good at basketball." He told her, searching for something to talk about.

Nikka flushed with a combination of the heat and his praise. "It's a popular sport over in Europe and the East, so having some good skill gave me more chances to make friends. What about you; you're pretty good yourself."

"Like you said, it's a popular sport and it helps to fit in." He replied as they pulled up to the ice cream parlour. "Here we go."

They hopped out and walked inside. Stepping up to the counter, Nikka ordered. "I'd like a double scoop of cookies'n'cream, please."

"And I'll take a double scoop of mint chocolate."

"Alright, that's $6.79, please." Lou placed the mixture of bills and coins in the man's hand before turning to Nikka. "Want to walk around for a little while? The ice cream will melt quickly in the SUV."

"Sure; come on, this path looks like it has a lot of shade." Nikka said, gesturing towards a path with one hand while taking a bite of the ice cream held in her other hand.

Lou nodded, the feeling he had been worrying about bubbling up in him again just by looking at Nikka's smile. She made him special, a way that no one else had ever made him feel. She was special, and he knew that if he hadn't called her, he might have lost a gem. Looking at the sweaty yet beautiful girl walking alongside him, he couldn't help wanting to ask her to be his girlfriend.

Nikka smiled at Lou, her earlier flush faded. She couldn't help but to like this gentle, sporty man who had entered her life suddenly. She wasn't sure if he felt the same way for her that she felt for him, but she hoped to find out soon.

They walked along the shady path, eating their ice cream in silence until Lou spoke up. "Nikka, may I ask you something?"

Nikka laughed at him. "You mean 'May I ask you two questions?'" she replied as she bit into the cone. "And yes, you may."

Lou rubbed the back of his head. "That's what I meant, yes. And my question was would you be my girlfriend?" he bit into his ice cream cone to hide his nervousness.

Nikka swallowed suddenly, nearly choking on her ice cream. Regaining herself, she smiled at him. "I'd like to be your girlfriend."

Lou smiled, his nervousness relieved. "I'm glad." He told her, leaning in to steal a bit of her ice cream.

Nikka pouted, attempting to shield her ice cream. "Hey!" she said, leaning in to steal a bit of his ice cream herself. "How do you like that?" she asked, one hand on her hip.

Lou smirked at her, noticing the ice cream on her lip. Instead of answering, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. He reached up slowly to caress her face before pulling back. "I like it very much."

Nikka flushed slightly the contact though butterflies fluttered in her stomach. They finished their walk, ending up near the SUV. "What do you want to do now?"

"Want to head home? You look tired," he told her, throwing their napkins in the garbage.

Nikka shrugged as she spoke. "I haven't gotten much sleep lately; I had a difficult case a few days ago."

"Well then, we should get you back home." Lou told her, opening the SUV door for her. He knew what it was like to lose sleep after a difficult case.

"Thanks." She told him, leaning back in the SUV as he stepped in.

"No problem." Lou told her, starting the SUV. "I know what it's like."

Nikka smiled at him. "I'd bet you would."

"It comes with our line of work."

"That it does; there's good parking if you turn here."

"Alright..." Lou parked quickly and hopped out along with Nikka.

"My apartment's just across the street." She gestured across the street, which was relatively quiet, with the odd car whizzing by.

"Mind if I came up?" Lou asked as they crossed the street.

"Not at all." Nikka told him as they climbed the stairs. "I hope you don't mind that it's very clean; I couldn't sleep much last night."

"If you couldn't sleep, why did you clean instead of doing something else?" Lou asked as they stepped into the elevator.

"I'd just finished my book and I didn't really want to watch a movie." Nikka told him as they stepped off the elevator onto the seventh floor. "It's just down the hallway, room thirteen."

"The unlucky room." Lou said softly, as they stopped in front of her room.

"It's been fairly lucky for me." Nikka told him with a soft smile. "I've met you, gotten my job and made a few good friends."

Lou smiled down at her. "I suppose that's true." He said as she fished her key card out of her pocket. She opened the door and gestured him in. "Nice place." he observed, looking around at the soft colours and decorated walls. "Did you make this?" he asked, fingering a picture frame containing a sewed basketball.

"I did; it was one of my first projects, actually." Nikka replied as her phone began to ring. "One second." Picking up the phone, she sighed slightly before answering. "Hello Dad...I'm fine...You're back in the country? Alright...I'll see you soon." She shook her head as she hung up her phone.

"Something wrong?" Lou asked, stepping closer to her.

Nikka shrugged, looking up at Lou. "My dad's back in the country and he's coming to visit. He said he'd be here in twenty minutes."

Lou cocked an eyebrow. "You don't look happy that you'll see him soon."

"I'm not really...it's not that I don't care for him, but he always pressures me to become a doctor or something" at this Nikka held up her hands to quote "'better than a lowly nurse.' It just bothers me, that's all."

Lou laughed and grasped her hands. "Well, I think that you're doing just fine as a 'lowly nurse'." He said, smiling down at her.

"Thanks." She said, with a smile on her face.

"No problem." Lou replied, lowering his head to press his lips to hers for a kiss. Nikka kissed back, twisting her hands slightly so she could hold his hands. When they pulled apart, Nikka's smile had appeared. "I love your smile..." Lou said softly, causing Nikka to blush.

"Thanks." She said, equally as soft.

Lou stepped back, though he still held her hands. "I should go before your father gets here, so you have a chance to get cleaned up."

"True...but I don't want you to go." Nikka told him.

Lou chuckled. "Don't worry; I'll call you later."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Lou said, squeezing her hands before letting go. He turned to leave, and Nikka followed him to the door.

"Bye."

"Don't say 'bye'." Lou said, turning to face her. "Say 'until I see you again.' 'Bye' sounds like forever."

Nikka smiled at Lou. "Alright, until I see you again Lou."

"Until." He replied, stepping outside. "Don't let your dad push you around too much."

"I won't." Nikka said, waving to him as he walked down the hallway to the elevator.


	5. Chapter 5

A really, really short chapter, unfortunaltly. But it serves its purpose of introducing Spike to Nikka. I promise the next chapter will be longer!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from 'I Love You, Man', Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Alexis, Nikka, and the streets.

Enjoy!

* * *

Spike and Lou drove along Eliara Lane, a long side street full of small local merchants. It was a fairly quiet area, with only slight violence and stealing. "So, how did it go with Nikka last night?" Spike asked, poking Lou in the shoulder with one hand.

"Aren't you curious?" Lou replied, poking Spike in the shoulder before speaking again. "We went to go see 'I Love You, Man'; it was pretty funny." Lou smiled at the memory of walking her back to her apartment. There was something about being around Nikka that he just loved.

Spike, seeing the look on his friends face, laughed. "I'm not alone any more, then."

Lou looked over at him, a quizzical look on his face. "What are you talking about, Spike?"

"You've got the same look I have whenever I'm near or think about Alexis." Spike said pointing to his own face as the look appeared on his face.

"You're right, I guess." Lou replied, shaking his head at his friend's actions.

"And look there! From what you've told me, that would be Nikka, wouldn't it?" Spike asked, pointing out the window to a woman who was indeed Nikka. "I know we're on duty, but chatting for a minute isn't going to cause the end of the world as we know it." Spike said, rolling down the window.

Shaking his head, Lou called out the window. "Hey, Nikka!"

Nikka turned around, a confused look turning to one of simple happiness. "Hey." She replied, stepping closer to the SUV. "What are you doing here?" she asked, leaning on the SUV.

"Patrolling," Lou said as he lifted his arm to grasp her hand.

"What, did you forget about me?" Spike asked, poking his friend before reaching one hand out to Nikka. "Nice to meet you, Nikka. I'm Spike."

Nikka blinked, and shook Spike's hand with her unused hand. "Nice to meet you too. How did you-"

"Know who you were? Lou's been talking about you non-stop for a little while now." Spike replied, causing Nikka to blush slightly.

"And you haven't been talking about Alexis?" Lou replied, rolling his eyes at Spike with a smile on his face. Turning back to Nikka, he explained who he was talking about. "Alexis is his girlfriend, and he is completely in love with her."

Spike was about to respond when the radio crackled. "Guys, we've got a situation. 379 Makiro Avenue. Brief on the way." Greg's voice came over the radio.

Spike reached out and picked up the radio. "We'll be there soon." He said as Lou sighed.

"I guess we have to go." Lou said, squeezing Nikka's hand but not letting go.

"Take care." She replied, pulling her hand away unhappily, the feeling of his hand tingling on hers.

"I will." Lou promised as the SUV pulled away.


	6. Chapter 6

Another chapter of **Discovering Hearts** up! I hope you enjoy! I had found this chapter really easy to write for some reason.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or any of its characters. I own only Nikka and Mr. Fletcher.

Enjoy!

* * *

"You alright?"

Lou's voice startled Nikka and she whirled, nearly falling over. Lou caught her easily and pulled her close, letting her rest her head on his chest. She stayed silent for a minute, calming down to the sound of his heartbeat before replying. "I'm just nervous."

"About what? Scared he won't like me?" Lou smiled and placed a kiss on his girlfriend's head. "I wouldn't worry too much."

"No, not that. I'm worried he's going to yell at me."

Lou's smiled turned upside down. "What do you mean, yell at you?" he asked as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that." She said, squeezing out of his grip and stepping closet to the door before Lou's hand grabbed her wrist. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at him. "Later, I promise." Accepting that, Lou let go of her and watched her open the door for her father, who didn't wait to be greeted before stepping in.

"This is Lou, my boyfriend." Nikka said smiling as Lou extended his hand. Her father huffed and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you" Mr. Fletcher replied, though Lou could tell he didn't mean it. "Where do you work?" he asked, cutting straight to the point.

"I work in the Strategic Response Unit." Lou said as Nikka guided them towards her living room.

"Huh." Mr. Matthew Fletcher ran a critical eye over his daughter and her boyfriend as he sat down on the couch. "And you're still a nurse?" this question was directed at Nikka, who seemed to expect it.

"Y-" Nikka tried to answer but her father cut her off, snorting to himself.

"Of course. Still stuck in a stupid job; I thought you were smarter than that." Lou couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her father's behaviour as Mr. Fletcher continued on. "And why don't you go back for a doctor or at least travel overseas? This is a pathetic waste of your talents. You need to improve yourself if you're ever going to get anywhere in life." Nikka didn't answer, simply staring at the table separating her from her father as he continued to harass her, gaining volume. "You still hang around with those crappy friends of yours? Dump them; they are only holding you back. And-"

Nikka's father attempted to continue to ranting at Nikka but she jumped up, her eyes flashing angrily and fists clenched. "Stop it!" Her father froze mid-word, giving Nikka an opening to speak up for herself. "No one's holding me back! I got all of this," she gestured around at her apartment "by myself! I paid my way through university and nursing school. I've got a terrific boyfriend," Lou felt a smile reappear on his face. He'd never been called a 'terrific' boyfriend, only a 'good' boyfriend, "and I have people who appreciate me-"

Mr. Fletcher cut her off by rising to his own feet, anger evident in his eyes. He stormed around the table, coming up on Lou's side. "You little bitch..." he hissed, raising one hand in anger.

Lou shot up to his feet, grasping Mr. Fletcher's wrist in a tight grip as Nikka gasped and stepped back. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded, shaking Mr. Fletcher's arm. "She's your damn daughter!"

Mr. Fletcher snarled and attempted to pull free to no avail. "Exactly! She's my damn daughter, so get out of my way!" He lifted his other arm and tried to shove Lou away.

Lou took the weak blow and grabbed his arm. Looking into Lou's eyes, Mr. Fletcher felt his anger melt away into fear from the hate and anger revealed there. "She's your daughter and you're just pulling her down and trying to hit her?!? What kind of father are you?" Lou's voice crackled with hidden anger, but he got it under control when he felt Nikka place a hand on his back.

"A damn good one! And as her father, she should listen to me!"

"Not if you are degrading her!"

"I'm not degrading her; she's degrading herself by hanging around with low life's like you and all her idiotic friends."

Lou stepped closer to Mr. Fletcher and whispered "If you come anywhere near Nikka with the intention to harm her again, you answer to me. Got it?" into his ear. Mr. Fletcher face turned white as Lou released his wrists. Mr. Fletcher stared at Lou for a moment before storming out of the apartment.

Lou turned around slowly to face Nikka, whose face was unreadable as she studied the floor. "Is that what you meant by yelling?" he asked softly, reaching out to lift her head with one hand.

"Yes..." she whispered, tears clinging to her eyes. Lou let out a sigh and wrapped her in his arms, letting her feel his warmth and comfort. "But he's never tried to hit me."

"And he won't ever again, I promise." He murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "But you stood up to him, too. Have you ever done that before?" Nikka looked up, shaking her head. "He didn't like that; he wants control over people. But I'm proud of you for being strong enough to stand your ground." He lowered his head to press his lips to hers. "Now, let's get out into the nice day, what do you say?"

Nikka nodded with her smile back on her face. "I like that idea."


	7. Chapter 7

This was a really neat chapter to write, seeing as it combind S/A with L/N. If you don't read **Experenices**, then you might be a bit confused, so I'll fill you in. Alexis almost got shot and ended up with a concession, which required that she stay in the hosipital overnight. Thank you to **speedlesweetie,** for without her then this story (and **Experenices**) wouldn't be nearly so good!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its charactes. I own only Alexis and Nikka.

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"Evening, Miss Whalen. How are you feeling?" Nikka asked as she walked into Alexis's room with a tray.

"I'm feeling better now, as I'm not light headed. Will you call me Alexis? Miss Whalen seems too formal." Alexis replied from her position lying down on the bed, just like the doctor ordered.

"Then you can call me Nikka. Here's your food. After this, someone can take you home." Nikka replied smiling as she set the tray down on the little table next to the bed. "Would you like to call someone?"

Alexis shook her head. "My boyfriend, Spike, is going to come pick me up."

Nikka tilted her head for a moment as she thought about where she had heard that name before. "Spike...now where have I heard that name before?" she murmured to herself.

Alexis looked up at her, a forkful of food inches away from her mouth. "He works in the SRU, so that could be it." She told her before eating.

Nikka snapped her fingers as realization dawned on her. "That's where! He works with my boyfriend, Lou."

Alexis's eyes widened. "So you're the Nikka that Spike told me about. He said Lou was dating someone named Nikka who Lou was always talking about." Nikka blushed, causing Alexis to stifle a laugh as she chewed.

"Does he really say that? That he talks about me all the time?" Nikka felt like a little kid asking for gossip but she couldn't help it.

Alexis nodded, cutting another piece of the food. "He does. Apparently Lou gets the same look Spike does when he talks about me."

"I wonder what look that is...anyway, how long have you been going out with Spike?" Seeing as Alexis had been the last stop on her shift, Nikka could afford to stand around talking.

"Just over a year now. He can be the sweetest g-"

"Do I hear people talking about me?" Spike walked into the room, stopping as both girls shook their heads at him.

"Nothing, Spikey. I'm just eating." Alexis waved at fork at him.

"Hey, how come when I was here I got cardboard food and you get real pizza?" Lou asked as he stepped into the room.

"My girl is more special then you." Spike told Lou as he sat down next to Alexis, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "How are you feeling, 'Lexis? Not going to faint on me again, right?"

"I'm alright. Just got to finish eating and then they're ready to let me go. Right, Nikka?"

Nikka nodded as she stood up. "Right. I'll go get those well you finish eating."

"I'll come too." Lou followed Nikka out and smiled at her. "How you feeling?" Lou watched her carefully, hoping that the incident with her father yesterday hadn't bothered too much.

"I'm alright, thanks. What about you?" Nikka smiled reassuringly up at him. They had gone out for ice cream after her father left. It had left her feeling better, she reflected, and she trusted Lou a lot more.

"I'm holding up." He told her as Nikka pulled out the papers Alexis would need to sign out. "Made it out of our hot call with no casualties."

"That's good. We had an emergency here too, but the mother made it out alright. She ended up giving birth in an elevator though." Nikka held back a laugh as Lou winced.

"That would hurt like hell." Lou commented as he slid his hand into Nikka's as they walked back towards Alexis's room.

"I'm sure it did; we could hear her screaming at us from two floors down." She remarked as they stepped into Alexis's room. "And here are the papers. You just need to sign them and have someone get you home." She told Alexis as she handed her a pen and the papers.

"What, do you think I'd let her drive herself home? Jeesh." Spike said, smiling at Lou and Nikka.

Alexis smiled as she handed Nikka back the papers. "Oh relax Spikey. I'm fine, so let's get home." She started to stand up, and found Spike supporting her. "I can walk just fine!" she protested weakly.

"Doesn't matter." He told her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and supporting her slow walk. "I'm not letting you."

Alexis smiled up at him. "Fine."

Stepping outside the room, Nikka and Lou shared a quiet laugh. "Those two really are in love, aren't they?" Nikka remarked.

"Uh-huh. You can tell just by looking at them. By the way, isn't your shift over?" Lou said, throwing his arm around her shoulders.

"Yup. Why do you ask?" Nikka smiled up at Lou, who shrugged in response.

"Want to head out and catch a movie? I hear that Monsters Vs Aliens just came out."

Nikka laughed at Lou, who raised an eyebrow. "You really are a just a big kid at heart, aren't you?" she teased as she led him down the hallway.

"You know you like me that way." He replied as she stopped to grab her purse.

"That's true." Nikka replied just before Lou pulled her into a kiss, now that they were outside the hospital. "It's very true I like you."


	8. Chapter 8

New chapter up! I hope everyone will like it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Blue Planet, Reese's Pieces, the Wizard of Oz, Flashpoint or any of its characters. I own only Nikka.

Enjoy!

* * *

Nikka smiled as she knocked on Lou's door. In her hands she had a gift bag, which was thanks for Lou standing up to her father.

Lou opened the door, and smiled at Nikka. "You're early again." He said playfully as she stepped in.

"Better than being late like you." She replied, holding out the bag. "I brought something to thank you."

Lou's forehead crinkled as he accepted the bag. "Thanks for what?"

Nikka felt her gaze being drawn to the floor. "For standing up for me."

Lou smiled as he reached out with one hand to grasp her chin, lifting it so that she was looking at him. "I don't need any thanks, you know. Just being with you is reward enough. But thank you." Nikka blushed, causing Lou to laugh and remove his hand from her face.

They stood in comfortable silence before Nikka broke it, having recovered. "Go on and open it!" She told him, making Lou laugh again.

"Can we go outside? I don't want to burn the steaks." Nikka nodded, and Lou led her outside. Once there, Lou sat his bag on the table and flipped the steak. "Shouldn't be too much longer. Now, to open that present." He picked it up again and opened it, a smile appearing on his face. 'Blue Planet, some popcorn and my favourite, Reese's Pieces. Trying to set up a movie night, are we?"

Nikka laughed. "I just knew that you didn't have Blue Planet yet."

Lou smiled, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you." He murmured, lowering his head to catch her lips. One hand slide up to rest lightly on her neck while the other slipped down to her waist, pulling her close. Kissing back, Nikka rested her arms on his chest.

When they pulled away, she smiled at him. "Hell of a thank you." She teased.

Lou rolled his eyes, planting a kiss on her nose before stepping back to check on the steaks. "The steaks are done. I'll just grab plates, so wait here." Nikka nodded and took a seat on the deck as Lou stepped inside.

Inside, Lou grabbed plates and paused in his kitchen, staring at the little bag on his counter, which held a present for Nikka. He was sure he should give it to her but... he was nervous. What if she didn't like it?

As Lou stood there lost in his thoughts, Nikka stepped in. Lou had been inside for a few minutes and she was just making sure that he hadn't hurt himself. Seeing him staring at something, she spoke up. "What are you looking at?"

Lou jumped slightly and turned to Nikka, who stood just inside. Taking a deep breath, he answered. "It's a present for you." He picked it up and walked over to her. "Here." He handed it to her, looking down at the floor as she accepted it. As she started to open it, he began to ramble. "I bought it for you because I was so proud of you for standing up for yourself." Lou stopped speaking as she stuck her hand in.

"Ahh..." she breathed, carefully lifting a statue out of the bag. "The Cowardly Lion with his Medal of Courage" she murmured, looking at Lou. "What's wrong?" she asked, reaching out with one hand to grasp one of his.

"I'm implying that you're a coward, just like the Lion was." He murmured, not lifting his head to meet her worried gaze.

"But you're also implying that I'm strong enough to be courageous." She argued with a smile. When Lou didn't reply, she frowned. Stepping closer, she forced him to tilt his head up, his eyes full of confusion. Without saying a word, she leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips. Lou froze for a moment, surprised, but kissed back just as gently.

When she pulled back, she smiled at him. "It's the nicest present I've ever gotten." She told him. "Thank you."

Lou felt a smile return to his lips, now that she had dissipated his worries. "You're welcome. Now, shall we eat?" he asked, offering her his arm.

Nikka laughed, glad that Lou was back to normal. "We shall." She agreed, linking her arm with his.

They sat down and ate their supper, which was steak and potatoes. They chatted easily and Lou couldn't help but smile as she kept the statue near her. Once they finished supper, they sat outside under the stars. "The stars are really bright out here." She said, leaning back onto Lou with the statue still on the table within arm's reach. "I can't see them this well from my apartment."

Lou smiled at her. "That would be because your apartment is surrounded by bright lights, which makes it harder to see the stars." Nikka nodded in understanding and snuggled closer to Lou, shivering. "I'm just going to grab a blanket, alright?" he whispered before standing up. Returning a minute later, he wrapped the blanket around them. "Better?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Much." Nikka replied, resting her head contently on Lou's chest as they stared up into the starry night.


	9. Chapter 9

Here is another chapter of **Disovering Hearts** up for you! I hope you will all like it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Please, you have to help my brother!" Nikka turned to see a man around her age holding a young boy who was no more than eight years old, and was bleeding severely.

"Put him on here!" One of the doctors ordered, beckoning his team over, including Nikka. They began to work immediately but it didn't look good for the boy. They had moved him to a secluded corner of the room, and the boy's brother hovered nervously behind them.

"He's still bleeding!" the man screeched, glaring at them in anger.

"Sir, we're trying our best." One of the nurses tried to calm him down as the doctor cried out in alarm.

"We're losing him! Charge, now!"

They managed to keep the boy alive but his older brother had snapped. Pulling a gun out from under his coat, he aimed it at the team of nurses and doctors. "If he dies, you die!"

The team froze for a moment but continued to work over the boy. One of the security guards stepped up, pulling his weapon up. "Sir, please put the gun down."

Nikka could see out of the corner of her eye that someone was calling the police. Her view of this person was cut short as the gunman grabbed her and pressed the gun to her head. "No, you put down the gun!" he yelled, jabbing the gun into her head. "I won't lose him!"

The security officer nodded, his eyes never leaving the man's. "Ok, sir. Just let her go." The security officer spoke as he dropped his gun.

"Kick it over!"

The security officer did as he was ordered, and Nikka was shoved roughly against the ground as the man picked up the second gun.

Seeing the trauma team staring at him, he waved a gun in their direction. "Keep working! He lives, or no one lives!"

As the team bent over the still bleeding boy, sirens were heard outside the building. The man swore under his breath, his eyes roving over the full emergency room. Police soon entered and began escorting patients close to the door out to waiting ambulances, keeping a close eye on the gun man.

As soon as the emergency room was almost empty, three men entered the room bearing clothes and shields that proclaimed 'SRU'. Nikka's eyes widened as she recognized one of the faces through the glass in the shields. 'Lou...' she thought before bending back over the boy's body.

"Am I going to be alright?" the boy managed to whisper, coughing with the effort.

"Shush..." Nikka soothed him. "Don't strain yourself."

Lou's eyes widened from behind the shield as he caught sight of one of the nurses near the gunman. 'Nikka...'

The gun man had noticed them too. "Stay back! Stay back!" he pointed a gun at the doctor. "All I want is for them to help my brother!"

"We understand that, but it would be much easier for them to help your brother if you'd give us the gun. They won't perform their best under stress." Greg spoke softly to the man, who had one gun trained on them and the other at a nurse.

"They have to! I promised him I wouldn't leave! I promised him!" he screamed, his finger hitting the trigger.

The shot echoed loudly through the room and the bullet hole was deep into the wall. Nikka gasped in shock; the bullet had gone right past her. Another few inches and she would have gotten shot.

The gun man turned back to Greg, his eyes wide. "I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to!"

"I know you didn't mean too. It was just an accident and everyone's alright over there, right? You're all alright?" Greg spoke soothingly to the man, hoping to calm him before another accidental shot hurt someone. All the doctors and nurses nodded their assent without pausing in their work. "See, everyone's alright. No one's hurt. Just give us the gun and I promise you that they will do everything in their power to save your brother."

"No! He lives, or no one lives!" the man yelled, waving his guns wildly.

"Sir, we can't ensure that he lives unless you give us the guns. If you give us the guns, things will run better him."

The man looked up tearfully. "You promise? I only want the best for him."

Greg nodded. "I promise." The man nodded and dropped his guns. Wordy rushed forward as Greg called off Ed and Sam.

"Please, please..." Nikka looked into the boys eyes for the first time, and was struck by the similarity between him and her younger brother. "Don't let me die, please." Nikka's breath caught her throat as the light slid out of his eyes.

"Time of death, 2:37 pm." The doctor said as they all gazed down at the boy.

The man heard and let out an angry howl. "You said he'd be alright!" he screeched as he passed Greg.

As Lou walked up to the team of nurses and doctors (including the most important person, Nikka), he heard one of the nurses speaking to Nikka. "Are you alright? He threw you pretty hard."

Nikka smiled at July, an older nurse. "I'll be alright. Thanks, July."

"Hey." Lou smiled at Nikka, who smiled back. "You alright? I heard he threw you."

"He did. I'll live though."

Lou chuckled slightly. "That's good." They walked in silence for a moment. "You want me to come over tonight?"

Nikka shook her head. "I'd...I'd like to be alone, if that's ok."

Lou nodded. "That's fine. Just give me a call if you need me, and I'll be right there. You know that, right?"

"I know."


	10. Chapter 10

Wow, this is the 10th chapter of **Discovering Hearts**! That makes it into the 2 digit range! My second ever story to do that, with **Neighbourhood Girl** being the first. Hope everyone likes it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka, Matt and Ben.

Enjoy!

* * *

Nikka stood at Lou's door, a picture frame held in her hands while she stood there nervously. As much as she wanted _(needed)_ his comfort, she didn't want to bother him.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing just standing there?" Lou's voice rang out of the darkness and Nikka stepped back as she looked up to see him sticking his head out the window.

"Debating on whether or not to bother you." She called up.

"I already told you it was no bother, didn't I? Give me one second and I'll be down." Nikka could hear his retreating footsteps and he soon opened the door. "Hey." Lou stepped aside so she could step in, noting the picture frame clutched close to her chest. "Everything alright?" He asked, looking at her face. She seemed so tired and fragile; he didn't like that at all.

"My shoulder's a little sore." She replied.

Lou spoke hesitantly. "Could I see?" He wanted _(needed)_ to make sure she was really alright. Nikka nodded, and moved her sleeve so he could see the bruise starting to form on her shoulder. He reached up and brushed his fingers lightly over it, causing her to flinch in pain. "Sorry." He murmured, pulling his hand back.

"It's alright." She told him, letting her sleeve fall back into place. "Could we talk? Outside?"

Lou nodded and grabbed a blanket from the closet as he followed her outside. They settled down on the deck and Nikka began to speak. "The little boy...he reminded me of my brother. Not Ben, Matt. He was my younger brother. We were walking in the park, and he'd just helped me move into my apartment. This is him; it was taken the day before he got killed." Nikka held up the picture frame so Lou could see. Studying the picture, he could see the similarity between Nikka and Matt. They both had blue eyes and brown hair, with identical smiles. "We were going to get ice cream but two gangs started to fight. We were almost at shelter but he got shot. And he said the same thing that the little boy said. 'Don't let me die, please.'" Nikka had slowly been dissolving into tears as she spoke and was now full out sobbing. Lou wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry into his chest.

They stayed that way until her sobs subsided and she looked up at Lou, tears clinging to her eyes stubbornly. "Thank you." She whispered, trying to smile.

"It was nothing." He told her, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear. "Thank you for trusting me." Trusting his gut, which told him she _needed_ him to kiss her and knowing that he _needed_ to kiss her, to make sure that she was here after today's scare, he lowered his head to brush his lips over hers. She kissed back, giving him confidence that it wasn't too soon.

Breaking apart, he smiled at her. "Will you stay the night? It's just getting late and I wouldn't feel right letting you walk home alone. If you don't want to-"

Nikka cut him off with kiss, to which he responded immediately. When they broke apart, she smiled at him. "I'll stay. Mind if we go in though? It's getting a bit chilly out here for my tastes."

Lou nodded and stood up, wrapping one arm around her. "I'll make sure you'll stay warm." He promised as they walked inside.


	11. Chapter 11

Here is another chapter of **Discovering Hearts** for you! I hope you'll enjoy! Just to give you a heads up, updates this week might not be very frequent. It is Easter Weekend and the Church Choir has to sing _**every flippin' day**_ between Thursday and Monday. I hope I'll be able to update at least once over the weekend.

Disclaimer: I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka and her mother, Rose Carroll.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Nikka!"

Nikka turned around was immediately hugged by her mother. "Hey Mom."

"How are you? You were involved in the hospital hostage situation weren't you? I could have sworn I heard your name mentioned." Nikka's mother, Rose Carroll, asked as she stepped back from her daughter and looked her over critically. "You don't look like you got hurt."

"I didn't, Mom. I'm fine. How have you been holding up?"

"I've been doing well. I'm no longer a free lance writer, but a columnist for the Star. I heard your father paid you a visit."

Nikka winced as they sat down in the restaurant. "He did. And he still wasn't too happy. When he started to get really mean, Lou made him leave."

"And speaking of your boyfriend...where is he?"

"He's coming soon; he just wanted to give us some time alone."

"He sounds like such a sweet man."

"He is."

"Who is?" Lou's voice interrupted the two women who looked up at him.

"Nothing." Nikka smiled across the table at her mother as Lou sat down beside her. "We were just talking. Lou, this is my mom, Mrs. Rose Carroll."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Carroll." Lou stretched out one hand to shake Mrs. Carroll's.

"I could say the same about you." Mrs. Carroll replied, liking this young man who had already protected her daughter. "So, where do you work?"

"I'm a police officer with the SRU, Strategic Response Unit." He replied as the waiter came by to take their drinks.

"Must be hard, living the worst twenty minutes of everyone's life every day."

"It can be stressful, but I've managed to get through it." Lou smiled at Nikka, adding silently to his sentence _'with some help from Nikka.'_

"How's Ben doing? I haven't heard from him lately." Nikka asked. Her older brother, Ben Carroll, was a free lance nature photographer, so he traveled a lot.

"He managed to get a contract with a wildlife magazine for the season, so he's going to be busy."

"He'll like tramping around it the woods all day." Nikka smiled at the thought of her older brother. He had been ten, Matt had been six and she had been eight when their parents had divorced, her mother getting custody of the boys and her father getting custody of her. Her father and Ben had never gotten along, as their father believed Ben should have been a lawyer.

The waiter arrived with their drinks and took their orders as they continued to chat easily among themselves. The time flew by and soon they were interrupted by Mrs. Carroll's watch beeping. "Look at the time! I have an interview in twenty minutes! I'm sorry to run, but-"

"Its fine, Mom. We have to do this more often."

"We do! Take care of yourself!" Mrs. Carroll waved goodbye to her daughter and her boyfriend before stepping into a cab.

"She's certainly energetic." Lou said, holding Nikka's hand in his.

"She always has been. I'm still not sure why she and Dad married. They have nothing in common."

"Don't worry about it too much." Lou told her as they walked along the street. "What would you like to do now?"

"You just want to walk along and shop a bit?" Nikka asked, tilting her head up to smile at Lou.

"I think I can live with that."


	12. Chapter 12

Another (short!) chapter! Hope you'll like it! If you have any guesses on the next chapter, just let me know! A huge thanks to **speedlesweetie** for all of her help with this story. Without her help, this story wouldn't be this good!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

Enjoy!

* * *

"You know, you didn't have to bring me my umbrella." Lou told Nikka with a smile, though in truth he didn't really mind.

"I wanted to. Don't want you to catch a cold if you end up walking home."

"You'd take care of me anyway, so it shouldn't matter."

"True." Nikka agreed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I would take care of you." With a slight _'ding!'_ the elevator door opened behind her. "Well, that's my cue." She told him, stepping back and inside.

"I guess so. Call you later."

"I'll be waiting." She called through the closing doors. Smiling, Lou turned away from the doors.

The rain changed from its light drizzle to a harsh pouring combined with thunder as Nikka rode down the elevator. A sudden loud crack split the sky and the elevator stopped suddenly, causing Nikka to slam her head into the elevator wall.

Groaning, she slid down to rest on the elevator floor while the lights above her flickered back into life from emergency generators. 'Must be the storm,' she thought to herself groggily as her phone began to ring. Flipping it open, Lou's voice came through. "Nikka, you alright?"

"I'm fine." She replied, deciding not to tell him about her head and worry him further. "Just startled me, that's all. What happened?"

"Lightening strike. Listen, we'll get to you as soon as possible. We've got a prisoner stuck in another elevator, and he's dangerous. Just hang on, alright?"

"I'm not going anywhere. Take your time."

"We'll be there soon." He promised before hanging up.

In the change room, Lou ran a hand through his hair. He was worried about Nikka; he didn't like leaving her alone in that elevator. Spike, noting his troubles, spoke. "Don't worry; we'll get her out of there. The faster we get to the prisoner and get him secured, the faster we'll get to Nikka. Right?"

Lou smiled at Spike. "You're right, Spike. We'd better get moving."

Back in the elevator, Nikka rested her spinning head against the cool metal. After a few minutes, the elevators started up again; more emergency generators, she guessed. She stayed on the ground, pulling her head back from the wall.

As the glowing elevator numbers switched from '13' to '12', another loud crack resounded as Nikka's head slammed into the wall again. She winced as the world faded to darkness and the last thing she heard was her phone ringing in her hand.


	13. Chapter 13

IT HAS BEEN TYPED! ALL EIGHT PAGES!! I believe this is the longest chapter/story I've posted on here. And this took me a good three, four hours to type, never mind edit! I hope you enjoy! Also, a HUGE 'thank you!' to **speedlesweetie and Justicerocks**. Without **speedlesweetie** helping me pick characters and iron out what to change, this story would not be this good. And without **Justicerocks** encouragement to keep writing, I may have given up part way through. So a giant 'thank you!' to both of you!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from The Wizard of Oz or its characters or Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Mr. Fletcher, Alexis and Nikka.

**Warning:** Slight swearing, overly-happy Ed and Wordy, and crying Sam.

Enjoy!

* * *

When Nikka came slowly to consciousness, she was surprised to see the elevator doors halfway open. Clutching her pounding head, she stood up and squeezed outside. Her first look outside shocked her.

"This is not Toronto." She murmured looking around the flower covered area. "There's no way this is Toronto." She took a few steps forward and gasped as a large green bubble floated down in front of her. With a 'pop', it revealed Alexis.

"Alexis? Where am I?" Nikka asked, confused as to how Alexis had gotten here.

"You want to get back to Toronto, don't you? And to Lou?" Alexis replied, not answering her question.

"Lou! He's going to be so worried about me!"

"And you'd better get back to him. But first, the munchkins would like to know something. Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

"I'm not a witch at all!" Nikka protested. "I'm just a normal woman!"

"But you killed the Wicked Warlock of the East. So you must be a witch. Look."

Nikka turned slowly to the sight of a pair of feet sticking out from the elevator. Spinning back to Alexis, she began to babble. "I didn't mean to! I was unconscious! I-I"

Alexis cut her off with a hand on her shoulder. "But you've done the munchkins a great favour. And look, here come the Munchkin's mayor and his advisor."

Before she could turn around, footsteps stopped behind her. "So, she a good one or a bad one?" Ed's voice rang out.

"Ed?" she said, spinning. The quick action made her head hurt and someone eased her down to the grass.

"Easy, don't want to overdo it." Wordy said.

"Wordy?"

"Uh-huh. Now rest. So he's well and truly dead? Spiritual, physically, emotionally, and mentally?"

"That he is."

"And who killed him?" Mr. Fletcher's voice boomed out. "Who killed my brother, the Wicked Warlock of the East."

"I didn't mean to! Hon-"

"Silence, traitorous daughter! I shall have to ki"

"Are you forgetting about the bracelet?" Alexis interceded. "It's isn't crushed."

"Well, then." Her father turned away and stalked back towards the elevator as the feet sticking out disappeared slowly. Nikka felt a sudden weight on her wrist and gasped as a gold chain, with the letters "LN" written in silver on it, appeared there. Her father spun and, seeing the bracelet, snarled. "What have you done, witch?" he snarled.

"I simply passed it. There's nothing you can do about it now." Alexis smiled sweetly, kneeling down to wrap an arm around Nikka.

"I'll get you, traitor." He growled before disappearing in cloud of red smoke.

"What do I do now?" Nikka asked, one hand wrapped around the letters.

"The Wizard will help you. He's such a kind man." Alexis assured her as she helped Nikka stand. "Just tell them I sent you."

"How do I get there?" Nikka asked, finding her balance now that her head wasn't spinning.

"Just follow the yellow brick road!" Wordy chimed, pointing at the road lying just in front of them.

"It'll take you right to Oz!" Ed added, his usual serious face bursting into a smile. "He'll help you!"

"So just," Nikka stepped onto the bright cobblestones, "follow this road?"

"That's right. Follow that road and it will lead you right to Oz." Alexis told her as she slowly disappeared.

"Well, I guess there isn't anything else to do." Nikka muttered to herself as she began to walk on the road, waving goodbye to Wordy and Ed.

She continued to walk until she saw a strange sight at crossroad. "Donna?"

The Scarecrow Donna raised its head to stare at her. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"Which way to Oz?" Nikka had given up on logic; there couldn't be logic in a place this strange.

"Well..." Donna stood up, her knees wobbly, "some people go that way. And some other ones go that way." She pointed in opposite directions. "I'd tell you more, but without a brain, I'm of no use to anyone."

"But everyone's useful in some way. Come to me with Oz; maybe he'll give you a brain."

"A chance is better than nothing. I suppose I'll come; it has to be better than sitting here." Donna replied, taking a shaky step. "Are you sure I won't slow you down?"

"I'm sure. The trip will be better with company. I'm Nikka, by the way." Nikka smiled in encouragement to Donna.

Donna didn't say anything but simply walked alongside Nikka until they heard a strange noise from the side of the road. Sharing a look, they pushed their way through the bushes to see a tin man being attacked by squirrels.

"Shoo! Shoo!" Nikka cried, running towards them. "Oh, you poor...Spike?!"

"Tiehe oulil cyian. Tiehe oulil cyian." He murmured, trying to move his head towards something.

"I think he means 'the oil can', Nikka." Donna translated, holding it up. Nikka took it from her hand and began to oil Spike, starting with his mouth.

"Ahh...thank you. Neck, please. I've been stuck here for over a year now. Oh, that feels good. I was going to get married but my girlfriend's ex-boyfriend didn't like that. He hired the Warlock of the West to cast a spell on me. Can you get my elbows? And this happened to me when it was raining. Oh, what will I do? I have no heart, no way to still love my lady."

"You could come to Oz. He might give you a heart, like he might give me a brain." Donna suggested.

"Could I? I'd be no bother." Spike asked them, his voice lightening.

"Of course! The more the merrier!" she replied.

"Thank you! Oh, if I'd get my heart back, I'd be back with the most wonderful girl."

Nikka giggled as she stepped back. "Well, let's go then. The faster we get there, the faster you can be with her."

"Why are you going to Oz?" Spike asked, clinking along beside her.

"I have to get back to Toronto."

"Never heard of it. But there must be someone special there waiting for you."

"There is." She replied, and they fell silent again.

They stayed that way until they reached a dark forest. "Think it's safe?" Nikka asked, looking at her companions.

"If the road goes through here, it has to be." reasoned Donna.

"Your word is good enough for me." Nikka said, taking a step in. "The faster we start, the faster we're through it, at least."

With that, the trio began to walk quickly through the dense forest. After a good hour of walking, they stopped for a rest. "It's been a while since I've gone for such a long walk. But it'll be worth it to see the wizard." Donna commented.

"That it will. I'll get my heart, you'll get your brain and Nikka will get back to Toronto. Who's waiting for you there, anyway?"

"My boyfriend, Lou. I hope he isn't worried about me."

"And you'll get back to him sooner if we start again." Spike said, clanking as he stood.

"Shush! I think I hear something."

They paused and sure enough, they heard what sounded like someone crying. They tip-toed around the tree to find a Lion behind it.

"What's wrong?" Nikka asked softly, not wanting to startle him.

The Lion looked up to reveal teary faced Sam. "Ohh...you're all so brave! Going to see Oz! I'm not that courageous."

"What would you ask Oz for?" Spike asked.

"I'd ask him for some courage. I'm the least feared beast in the forest."

"Why don't you come with us?" Nikka suggested, taking Sam's paw. "I'm sure he'd give you some courage."

"You think? Me, the Cowardly Lion?"

"If he'd give me a heart, and Donna a brain, then I don't see why he wouldn't give you courage." Spike suggested.

With that, Sam bounced up. "So I'll come with you! Get myself some courage. So..." he looked around, clutching his tale, "which way?"

"We just follow the yellow brick road." Nikka replied as she led him by his paw.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

Smiling, the quartet walked along the path until they reached the forest's edge. The only thing left between them and Oz was a field of flowers. "Come on!" Spike cried, starting to run. The rest of the group followed him, laughing as they ran towards Oz.

But by the time they had almost crossed the field, something strange had started to happen. Nikka and Sam were slowing down, rubbing their eyes and yawning. "Can't we just stop for a second?" Nikka asked as she knelt among the flowers.

"We can't stay here, we're almost there!" Donna tried to shake her awake.

"Oh, a second or two of shut eye wouldn't hurt." Sam ignored Spike and lay down beside Nikka. "Night."

Within a second of shutting his eyes, he was snoring and soon Nikka joined him.

"What do we do? We can't carry them!" Donna looked worriedly up at Spike.

"There's nothing we can do." Spike replied, starting to cry.

"Don't do that! You'll rust!" Donna shot up and swiped away his tears. "There has to be something."

Suddenly, it began to snow softly. As the snow landed on Nikka and Sam, they began to wake up.

"Strange weather out of the forest" Sam murmured to himself.

"What happened?" Nikka asked as she sat up, brushing snow off herself.

"I have no idea." Donna said, helping Nikka stand while the Lion stood himself up. "Now let's get going before anything else happens."

Nikka nodded as she rubbed the last of the sleep from her eyes. "Let's." She replied, leading the way to Emerald City.

When they reached the gate, Spike pulled the knocker, noting the sign that read 'Bell out of order. Use the knocker.' A door in the gate opened and someone poked their head out.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"The Good Witch sent us to see the Wizard. She said he could help me."

"And me." "And me." "And me."

"Well then, come right in! We can't leave someone the Witch sent left outside Emerald City."

The small door shut and the whole gate opened to reveal a horse drawn carriage. As the quartet climbed into the carriage, they were greeted by the townsfolk. Everyone smiled and waved at them until they stopped at a small courtyard.

"Wait here; I'll tell the Wizard you've arrived." The driver scurried inside and returned a moment later. "The Wizard will see you now."

Smiling with happiness, they followed their driver into the large building.

"You sure about this?" Sam broke the silence.

"What's there to doubt? He's the Wizard." Donna said, taking his arm.

"I've heard he has a temper."

"You've come too far to give up now." Spike said, taking his other arm.

"I could always leave and you could tell him for me." He tried to step back but was stopped by Donna and Spike.

"You can't give up now, Sam. Just a few more steps and you'll have your courage! Come on!" Donna and Spike pulled him inside the room, and the doors shut with a loud clang behind them.

"Do not bother to speak, for the great Oz already knows who you are and why you have come!" A voice boomed from out of nowhere.

"Then, will you help us?" Nikka asked, finding her hand drawn to her bracelet again.

"You must complete a task for me first!"

"But we've already come all this way!" Nikka protested.

"Silence!" Nikka quivered at the rage in the Wizard's voice. "If you do not bring me the remaining Wicked Warlock's broom, then you will never see your wishes granted. Now go!" The doors opened behind them and they rushed out.

"What do we do now?" Donna asked.

"We don't have a choice. We have to go get the broom. We can go all this way for nothing."

"Don't worry, with us along you'll be fine." Spike said with encouragement.

"I'm not so sure about that. Do you really think we'll be ok?" Sam wrung his tail nervously.

"We'll be fine." Spike assured him as they started their journey again.

Soon they had reached a forest even darker and dense then the one Sam came from. "This isn't good." Sam whispered, trying to backtrack.

"Nonsense. The faster we're through, the faster you'll get your courage." Spike hissed as he took his arm again.

"I could do without my courage, now that I think about it."

"You're coming." Donna snapped, grabbing his other arm as a scream came from in front of them. Looking ahead, they saw Nikka being flown away by flying monkeys. "The Wicked Warlock's monkeys got Nikka!"

"We can't let them get away with this." Sam growled, his earlier fear gone.

"Let's go!" Spike cried as they charged towards the castle in the distance.

* * *

Spike flinched at the sound of Nikka's scream and Ed's voice crackled through the earpiece. "Everything alright in there Spike?"

""Just fine, Ed. I was checking her pulse and she screamed. Bad dream, that'd be my guess. But she's fine otherwise. Give me one second to get the door open."

Ed glanced beside him at Lou, whose gaze was locked on the closed doors. Ed rested a hand on his shoulder, making Lou jump. "Don't worry. Spike said she's fine."

"It's my fault she's in the elevator at all. She brought me my umbrella because I forgot it in her van when she drove me here."

"Don't blame yourself." Ed told him as the doors opened with a slight 'clang'. Lou bolted right in as Spike moved to the side.

"Nikka." He murmured quietly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "Come on; let's get you out of here."

* * *

"What do you want?" Nikka asked, backing away from the Wicked Warlock of the West.

"The bracelet. Give it to me."

"The Good Witch-"

"Would you rather die?!" he bellowed, causing Nikka to flinch.

"Just take it. Take it." She held out her wrist.

"That's a good girl." He smirked as he reached for the bracelet. As his hand closed around it, he let out a piercing scream and pulled back. "What did you...oh now I remember. The only way that bracelet will get off you is if you're dead." He reached out and flipped a large hourglass. "You've got until it runs out to say goodbye to your life." He sneered before leaving, locking the door behind him.

Nikka stared at the door for a moment before running at it. "You won't get away with this!" she yelled, pounding on the door. After a few seconds of silence, she stepped back. "I'm not going out this." She said to herself before resuming her pounding on the door.

Below, three guards were sneaking up the stairs, one being held between them. "Nikka?"

"Spike?"

"Stand back; we're getting you out of there." He picked up his axe and began to chop through the wood.

On the other side, Nikka eyed the mostly empty hourglass nervously. "Hurry!"

"Working on it!" Spike grunted as he pulled his axe free and shoved the door down.

Nikka rushed out and threw her arms around the trio. "Thank you."

Donna pulled away first. "No time to thank us now; we've got to get out of here."

But it was too late; they were already surrounded by guards. "So you thought you would escape, did you? You aren't getting out of here until I have that bracelet!"

"We won't let you." Donna said, stepping bravely in front of Nikka, who was flanked by Sam and Spike.

"Won't let me? Try this, Scarecrow." With that, the Warlock threw a blast of fire at Donna, who screamed in terror.

"No!" Nikka grabbed the bucket lying nearby and threw it on her, spraying the Warlock as well.

Another, more terrified scream hit the air. "You hit me! You bitch, you've killed me!" he shrieked as he melted.

"I didn't mean to." Nikka whispered, helping a shaking Donna to her feet.

"But you freed us from him." A guard replied, holding out the Warlock's broom. "As Commander Julianna Callaghan of this fortress, I give you this broom as a token of our gratitude. It was the Warlock's most treasured possession, and I hope it will serve you well."

Nikka took the broom and beamed at her friends. "We've got the broom!"

"So we'll get our wishes!" Sam took her hands and danced around in a circle with her, making them all laugh.

"So then let's go get them!" Spike said, leading the way through the bowing guards, out of the dark forest and back to Emerald City.

When they reached the Wizard, Nikka set the broom down in front of them. "We killed the Wicked Warlock and brought you his broom as proof."

"That is very good; now go."

"Go? But"

"What about our wishes?"

"I need time to think."

"You've had two whole days to think! Can't you make up your mind?" Spike yelled angrily, stomping forward.

"It's not that hard to do!" Donna added, following Spike. Unfortunately, she tripped and hit Spike, causing them to roll into a curtain. Behind the fallen curtain was a man who resembled someone...

"Sergeant Parker! You're the Wizard?" Nikka cried, assisting her friends in standing again.

"That is my name, Nikka. How you know mine shall remain a mystery. And I apologize for trying to stall for time. I should have had faith that you would return and had everything ready for you. But, I do have one thing handy. While it isn't a brain, it proves you have one which I'm sure you do, Scarecrow. Just because yours doesn't look the same as mine, doesn't mean it isn't there. Ah! Here it is." Greg handed Donna a rolled up piece of paper. "That is a diploma. It proves that you, indeed, have a brain."

"Thank you." Donna said, clutching to herself.

"And for you, Lion, this would do nicely." Greg dug through a bag to pull out a medal. "This is a medal of honour, and shows that the bearer has great courage in all aspects of life. That I know is true of you, Lion." Greg told Sam as he clipped it carefully to his fur.

"Thank you, Wizard!"

"As for you, Tin Man, I am afraid I cannot help you myself. But, I know someone who can. My dear good witch, I know you are around her somewhere. Do show yourself."

The same green bubble appeared and floated down to 'pop' in front of them. "Yes, Wizard?"

"I believe this is the young man you were asking for?" Greg stepped aside to reveal Spike.

"Alexis?!"

"Spike, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I would have reversed it earlier, but with the Warlock still alive I couldn't get close enough. Come here, and I'll fix it." Spike walked obediently over to her and she cupped his tin cheek with one hand before kissing him.

As soon as she kissed him, a soft glow emanated from Spike's skin and when he faded, he was flesh and bone again.

"I'm me again."

"That you are. Stay that way this time, would you?"

"Not like I wanted to be tin." He replied before kissing her again.

"What about Nikka?" Sam asked, turning away from the kissing duo behind them.

"Yes, what about me?"

Greg shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I do not know. I'm not really a Wizard and the plane I arrived here in crashed. I was lucky to get out safely. There is nothing I can do for you."

"But..."

"There has to be something!" Donna argued. "There has to be."

"There is one way." Alexis said from behind them. "I would have told you earlier, but there was a geas on me. All you have to do is hold that bracelet and think of your home. It's as simple as that."

"It's as simple as that?" Donna and Sam chorused.

"Why didn't you tell her earlier?" Donna demanded.

"I couldn't. She was looking for her loved one and I could not help anyone looking for their loved one until I had found my own." Alexis explained.

"I'm going to miss you all." Nikka said, hugging them each in turn. "I never would have gotten this far without you. Thank you."

"We should be thanking you! You got me my brains,"

"my courage,"

"and the love of my life."

"Here goes nothing." Nikka whispered, clutching her bracelet as she thought of home. Soon the world began to spin and go dark.

When she opened her eyes again and the world came slowly into focus, she was happy to see a familiar face. "Lou."


	14. Chapter 14

And here's another chapter of **Discovering Hearts** up! I hope you'll enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

Enjoy!

* * *

Lou had been sitting in Nikka's hospital room for the past three hours. The only time he had left was to get her Cowardly Lion Statue so maybe she gain strength from it and wake up sooner.

But so far, it hadn't worked. She was still lying in the hospital bed unconscious like she had been since this morning. And it was entirely his fault, as much as everyone tried to argue against that. But whose umbrella has she brought up? His. And where was she now? Lying here on a hospital bed after being stuck in an elevator for four hours.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a simple golden bracelet. On it hung a charm that had written in silver 'LN'. Those were their first initials, and combining them like that meant something to him. Never before had anyone gotten this close to him. And it both scared and excited him. Excited him because now he knew about those feelings he had always missed but scared him too. Scared him because he didn't know how much he could handle of these new powerful emotions.

Pushing aside his doubts, he reached out to clasp it around her wrist. That way, even if he wasn't there physically when she awoke, she would know that she was in his thoughts.

Lou clasped her hand in his and sat there, his head hanging, until a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Lou."

Lou's head snapped up, and he stared directly into her open blue eyes. He didn't speak for a minute, just taking in the sight of her awake and O.K. His heart leapt to see her eyes blinking at him and without thinking, he leaned forward and kissed her, threading one hand through her hair. She kissed back softly after a startled moment.

When he pulled back, he rested back on the chair. "How are you feeling? You hit your head pretty hard."

"I feel ok, but I had the strangest dream."

"Was I in it?" he asked, a smile dancing on his lips.

"You were the only person not in it. Everyone else was...Sam, Jules, Alexis, everyone. And the only way I got back was through..." she stopped mid-sentence, staring at her wrist.

"What?" Lou followed her gaze to the bracelet and swallowed nervously.

"I was wearing that the whole time I was in my dream. It's how I got back." She replied, noting his nervous look. "Lou? Something wrong?"

"It's nothing." He told her, turning his head. He wasn't ready to tell her. As deeply as his feelings ran, he wasn't ready to tell her.

"If it's nothing, why won't you tell me?"

"If it's nothing, there's nothing to tell."

"Lou, look at me. Please." She pleaded and the pleading made him turn to meet her eyes. "Trust me."

Captivated by her eyes, he took a deep breath and began. "The first time I saw it, I thought of us. I was going to give it to you tonight but after this happened, if I wasn't here when you woke up, I wanted you to know that you were in my thoughts. That you are always in my thoughts. Because I...I love you." He confessed, shifting his view so he couldn't see her face.

Nikka sat speechless for a moment, so many thoughts running through her mind. She thought about what she wanted to say as she found her voice. "Lou, the whole time I was dreaming, all I could think about was getting back here. Back to you, back to what we have. It was through my dream I realized how deeply my feelings ran for you. How this one word sums it all up, I don't know. I love you."

Lou's gaze was slowly drawn back to her and he could see the sincerity, the honesty plain on her face. Releasing her hand, he stroked her cheek. "What did I do before you?" he murmured, shifting from the uncomfortable chair to her hospital bed to hold her.

"I don't know." She said as she relaxed against his chest. "But I don't think that matters much now, does it?"

"I believe your right."


	15. Chapter 15

Here's another chapter! I hope you'll enjoy it! Another thanks to **speedlesweetie** for her help.

**Disclaimer:** I do not or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka and Big Mike.

Enjoy!

* * *

The last thing Nikka expected to happen when she walked past an alley on the way to Lou's was to be yanked inside and have a beating commence on her. She struggled as much as she could, managing to kick one guy in the nuts before her arms were held behind her back. A couple solid punches to her stomach and she stopped fighting, simply staring at the ground.

Tears clung to her eyes as a knife was pressed to her neck. "Look at me, bitch." Nikka looked up, feeling a slight cut on her neck. "You know Lewy, now don't yah?"

"Lewy?"

The man pressed his knife against her skin, drawing blood. "Yah, Lewy. The guy you've been seein'? I got a message for him and guess whose carryin' it? You, that's who. Tell him he still owes us, big time. We saved his skinny little ass so many times when he was a kid. Wouldn't have made it without us. And what does he do to repay us? Dumps us for a shitty priest, goes bustin' up his old mates. That ain't right, that ain't decent, bustin' up mates. So he owes us, big time. You tell him not to forget it, or else somethin' is gonna happen to someone. And remind him off the old gang rule for us, would ya? What's my brothers is mine." As he spoke, the man had leaned closer until he was breathing on her. With his last word, he pressed his lips roughly against hers. With no way to get away, she did the only thing she could; nothing.

After a moment, the man pulled away. "Don't see why he keeps kissin' ya. Nothin' special." He sneered before pulling her up by her arm. "Get."

Nikka needed no further encouraging. She walked out of the alley as fast as her injuries would allow, her tears finally falling down her cheeks. As she walked, it began to pour. Letting out a sigh, she tried to go faster. Within a minute of the rain starting, she was soaked, cold and in pain.

After another five minutes of walking, she arrived at Lou's. Before she could ring the doorbell, the door opened. "Hey, I was wondering when-what the hell happened to you?" he asked, pulling her inside out of the cold.

"Some old buddies of yours paid me a visit." She told him, teeth chattering.

Lou's face darkened as he took the sight of her; bruised, bleeding slightly and soaking wet. "Tell me in a minute, alright? Let's take care of you first. Come on; you can borrow some of my clothes." Nikka didn't argue; she was shivering and soaked to the bone. Lou laid out some clothes for her and she got changed while he gathered a bandage and peroxide. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked through the door, fighting his desire to know who hurt her while combating the need not to hurt her anymore.

"They said not to forget where you came from and who used to save you. And to remember the gang rules."

"Gang rules...oh, hell." Lou ran a hand over his face. "Dammit, I didn't want you to find out like this. I'm pretty sure you know this already but...I was in a gang for most of my childhood years. A priest pulled me out midway through high school and helped me turn it around. My old gang mates never forgave me for turning 'goody two shoes', as they called it."

"You were in a gang? How high up?" Nikka asked, curious though she wasn't sure if she really wanted to know, having some knowledge of gang structure from when she traveled in poorer countries.

"Kind of high; I was trusted but I never got close to the top. I wouldn't kill to advance any farther. My tattoo doesn't have an 'NJK' on it."

"What did 'NJK' mean?"

"Not Just Joking. Now, what did these guys look like?"

"I only got a good look at one of them. He was tall, dark-skinned, and he had a unusual scar running from under his chin around his face to end on his forehead."

"Big Mike. He was the gang leader when I left." Lou said as the door opened to revel Nikka wearing an older pair of his sweats and sweater.

"Thanks for the clothes." She said, noting the bandage and peroxide. "In here?"

"Sure..." Lou began to apply the peroxide and she winced. "Nikka...what did they do to you?"

"Grabbed me and shoved me around. They got a good few punches and kicks in but I got one guy in the nuts." She smiled weakly as Lou laughed.

"I guess that'll teach them to mess with you. But...is that all they did?" Lou didn't want to ask Nikka that question; it was different asking a stranger than asking the woman you were in love with.

"The one you called Big Mike, h-he kissed me. And he kissed me so hard that it feels like he's still kissing me."

Nikka tried to look away from Lou but he grasped her chin before she could look away. "That's it? He didn't try anything else?" Lou knew that Big Mike had forced other gang member's girlfriends to sleep with him and not tell anyone.

"No. But I can still feel him" Lou cut her off with a kiss, sliding his hand from her chin to thread through her soaking hair while wrapping his other arm around her waist. Nikka responded eagerly and he slowly deepened the kiss while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

When they broke apart, he pulled a blanket up with one hand to wrap it around them, not wanting her to get cold. "Still feel him?" he asked softly as she rested her head on his chest.

"I only feel you." She replied, sliding her arms down to rest around his waist. "Thanks."

"I don't want you to feel any but me."

"I don't want to either."


	16. Chapter 16

Here's another chapter of Discovering Hearts! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

* * *

"You really don't have to do this." Nikka said, placing her hand on his arm lightly.

"But I don't want them to come after you again." Lou told her, encasing her hand in his as he stared into her worried blue eyes. "If I'm not back in ten minutes, call Spike. He'll know what to do." Lou hesitated for a moment before deciding against a kiss. "Bye."

As he placed his hand on the door, her arms wrapped around him. "Don't say 'bye'. It sounds like forever."

Lou turned and searched her eyes, seeing the pain and fear openly shown in them. He pressed his lips to hers instinctively, feeling the urge to protect her. When he pulled away, he whispered "I'll be back soon" before backing out of the SUV.

Nikka watched him leave, and sat nervously in the SUV, fingering the cell phones buttons in order to do something, anything. Quick glances at the clock showed the minutes passing slowly by, until the tenth minute hit and Lou hadn't returned. He had parked the SUV around the corner so that they wouldn't know she was there but now she wished they had parked out front so she knew if anything had happened to him. She gave him another minute before dialling Spike's number.

"Spike here!"

"Hey Spike. Umm..." Nikka paused, not sure how to continue.

"Lou not back yet?" Spike's voice changed from happy-go-lucky to a more serious tone.

"No."

"I'll be right there. You parked around the corner?"

"Yes."

"Wait there." With that, Spike hung up.

Nikka stared at the phone for a moment before looking up at the clock. Lou had been gone twelve minutes now and with each minute he was gone, she became more worried.

When a knock at the window came at twenty minutes, she was surprised to see not only Spike but the rest of his team. "We're leaving Donna to keep an eye on you. We'll be back in a minute." With that, Donna was left beside the SUV.

"Want to come in?" Nikka asked, leaning out the window.

"Probably a good idea." Donna replied, scrambling into the vehicle. They waited in silence for five minutes, Nikka's heart pounding all the while. She looked in the rear view mirror and let out a gasp, reaching for the door.

Once outside, she ran up to them. She met Spike's eye before her gaze was drawn back to Lou. He had multiple bruises that she could see, torn clothes and a few shallow cuts. She fought down the tears that threatened to rise up and using her emotion in a way that could be helpful.

"Does anyone have a first aid kit?" Greg nodded and split from the group, walking faster to get it from his vehicle. "Sit down here." She opened the back door so he could sit as Greg returned with the first aid kit. She opened and began applying its contents to use immediately.

After about ten minutes, Nikka determined there was nothing she could do further without more supplies. "We'll drive with you to Lou's" the guys told her firmly and she didn't argue. Although Lou argued, Nikka drove back to his house. Once they were safely inside, the guys wished their farewells and drove off.

Lou stood in the kitchen, leaning against the sink and cursing himself. He had though he'd had it under control for a short time but that was quickly proven to be false. If the guys hadn't come, he wasn't sure what would have happened.

"Lou?" Nikka's voice broke him out of his thoughts and he looked up, startled to find her just a couple of steps in front of him. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing alright."

"You had me worried. What happened in there?" There was fear hidden in her voice and Lou hated the fact he had caused it. If there was one thing he didn't want do, it was worry her.

"They were better than I'd thought. It didn't look like there were many guys but once I was in, a few more came in. And that's when things got rough. Had me scared for a minute there."

"But you're alright?"

"Nothing a few days won't heal. A few bruises and cuts, I've had much worse."

"You didn't have to do that."

Lou sighed slightly. "We've gone over this. I don't want them harassing you again."

"I know, I just...was so scared I'd never see you again." The fear in her voice wasn't hidden any longer and he couldn't just stand there, ignoring her pain.

He reached out and pulled her close into a rough kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly. Her fists clutched his shirt and she kissed back, letting passion join the already rough kiss. They stayed that way for several moments before pulling back slightly.

"You stuck looking at me for a long time." He murmured, reaching one hand up to brush back a strand of hair.

"There's no one I rather look at." Nikka replied, looking into the face of the man she loved.


	17. Chapter 17

I apolgize for the delay on this. I had a lot of math homework to do for the past little while, so I wasn't able to type as much I wanted to. I hope the chapter will be worth the wait.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

* * *

"Wow...the park looks amazing!" Nikka commented as she crested the hill, holding hands with Lou while he held a picnic basket in the other hand.

"It always does at night. Come on, we'll get a good view over here." Lou led her towards a large maple tree. "Here you go." Lou lay the blanket down the on the ground for her.

"You're such a gentleman." Nikka said with a laugh as she sat on the blanket.

"I do try." He grinned at her as he flipped the picnic basket lid open. "Sandwich?"

Nikka took the sandwich and bit into it. "Excited for the wedding? It's just a week away."

"A little nervous. I have to get up in front of everyone and make a speech. Not something I want to do but Spike's my best friend."

"I'm sure you'll do fine." Nikka said, patting his hand reassuringly.

"I'll do my best."

"That's all anyone can ever ask." Nikka said as she finished her sandwich.

"And now for the cake."

"Cake? What for?"

Lou didn't answer but Nikka understood the instant Lou pulled it out. "You remembered." She whispered, gazing at the cake that read 'Happy Six Months' in blue whip cream.

"I remembered." Lou replied as he observed her reaction. Nikka looked up at him and leaned forward, pressing her lips softly to his.

"You're the best boyfriend ever." She murmured, her breath tickling his lips. Without a second's hesitation, he pressed his lips against hers.

"I love kissing you." He said, pulling back slightly as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"I love all of you."

Lou smiled as he cut a piece of cake for her. "Even my dark past?"

"Your past made you who you are today, didn't it?"

"That's one good thing it did."

"Lou..." Nikka hesitated a moment before continuing. "Any time you want to talk or just have someone to listen, you just have to call."

"Is now alright? I've never really told anyone the full story." Lou spoke hesitatingly but Nikka laid her hand on his.

"Only if you want to."

"I want to." Lou took a deep breath before continuing. "My dad left us when I was almost too young to remember him and my mom was addicted to cocaine. I ended up joining the gang when I was around ten, but didn't really start to climb until I was a teenager. I did...some pretty horrible things and was getting in a lot of trouble. But, a priest got me out of it halfway through high school. He saved me, in every sense of the word. And that's how I got out. The guys always hated me because I left them just before an important job." Lou stayed silent after his little speech, giving Nikka time to listen. He felt vulnerable, which wasn't a feeling he was used to. He wasn't used to having someone else holding his heart in their hands.

Nikka absorbed the information and did the only thing she could think would show Lou she understood how hard it must have been to tell her. She scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you for telling me." She murmured as Lou wrapped his arms around her in return.

"Thank you." Lou whispered softly.

They stayed that way for a while, wrapped up in each other's arms. Finally, they pulled apart. "Cake?" Lou offered again.

"What kind is it?"

"Vanilla. Your favourite."

"You really are the best, you know that?" Nikka commented as Lou handed her a piece of cake.

"The best usually hangs with the best." He replied as he cut himself a piece of cake.

"Do you always have a comeback?"

"I try my best." He replied with a smile as he bit into the cake. "Like it?"

"It's delicious." She replied, holding up her half empty plate.

Lou laughed. "I'm glad you liked it. As you can tell, so did I."

Nikka laughed as she leaned on Lou. "A starry night, the best boyfriend ever and cake. What could be better?"

"Dancing under a starry sky?"

"You serious? I couldn't dance to save my life."

"Really? You know you'll need to dance for the wedding a few times. Come on, I'll teach you." Lou stood up and offered her his hand.

"No way. I am not dancing."

"You've got no choice." Lou replied, taking her hand to pull her up. She yelped and pushed against him as she stood up, making them stagger. "Easy now."

"Easy for you to say. You didn't just get pulled up."

Lou smiled as he took her hands in his. "You'll thank me for this." He told her as he arranged her hands in the correct places. "Now, just follow me." He murmured, starting to dance. "1, 2. 1, 2. 1, 2." Lou continued to count slowly as Nikka followed his lead. "You're doing good."

"Really?"

"Um-hm. Let's make it a little harder. 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3." Lou slowly increased the time until they were dancing quickly.

Laughing, Nikka wasn't paying a lot of attention to her feet. She stumbled over a rock and sent them sprawling on the hill top. "See what I mean?" she said, recovering her breath.

"You were doing fine until the rock interfered." Lou replied, propping himself up on his arm to look at her. She looked beautiful.

"Darn rock." She shook her fist at it in mock anger. When Lou didn't responded, she found him staring at her. "What?" she asked self consciously.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" Lou replied, smiling at the blush that appeared on her face.

"If you say so."

Lou rolled over to her. "I say so." He replied, wrapping his arms around her.

"You always know how to make a girl feel beautiful, you know that?"

"Only if they deserve it." He replied, lowering his head so his lips could meet hers in a deep and slow kiss. When they broke apart, he smiled at her. "And you deserve it. Now let's get back to the blanket before we get covered in dirt."

"The blanket is much warmer too." She replied, holding Lou's hand as she stood.

"I could think of one way to get it warmer."

"I think I'd be willing to listen."


	18. Chapter 18

Here's another chapter of Discovering Hearts for you, which I hope you will enjoy! This chapter was requested by **sassyboots4**, so I hope you like it! Much thanks to **Justicerocks** and **speedlesweetie** for their help with this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

* * *

"You can come in, you know!" Nikka called over her shoulder as a knock sounded on her door, assuming it was Lou. She had given Lou a key to her apartment just over a week ago, after their six month anniversary. When another knock sounded, she shook her head with a smile. 'He must have forgotten his key' she thought as she walked to the door from her bedroom with clothes thrown over the bed. She was packing for the weekend trip that she and Lou were taking to Stratford after Spike and Alexis's wedding.

Opening the door, she was surprised to find her father standing at the door.  
"Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you were in Israel." Nikka said, leaning on the door.

Her father ignored her, pushing into the apartment and catching sight of her bedroom. "Going somewhere?"

"I was going on a trip with Lou." She replied, gasping at the sudden anger in his eyes.

"You're still going out with that piece of trash?" Mr. Fletcher roared, taking a step forward.

Angered, Nikka didn't back down. "He's not a piece of trash, dad! He's an amazing ma-ah!" Nikka staggered back a step, lifting one hand to her face where she had been slapped.

"Talking back to your father?" he hissed, reaching out to grab a large chunk of her hair. "Bitch!" He threw Nikka and she went crashing into the kitchen.

Lifting her head, she saw her elderly neighbour sticking her head through the open door, alerted by the loud noises. 'Call 9-1-1' she mouthed before her neighbour's head disappeared.

Her father watched as she pushed herself up before striding over. "How do you like that? A daughter's supposed to be obedient, not go be a slut for every piece of trash that comes her way." He pulled a cleaver from the counter and pulled her up again, bracing her against his chest. Nikka brought her hands up instinctively to her throat as he brought the cleaver in front them.

"Dad, please...Ahh!" she winced as the cleaver scratched the back of her hands.

Footsteps approaching the still open door made her father pause and soon a voice Nikka recognized spoke. "This is Sergeant Greg Parker with the Police Strategic Response Unit. Is everything alright in there?"

"Everything's fine!"

"Would you mind if I saw that for myself? A neighbour said that there was a disturbance here." Before her father could reply, Greg stepped into the room, Wordy and Sam in front of him with shields.

"See? Everything's fine." He snarled, pressing the cleaver against her hands and drawing more blood.

"Everything doesn't look like fine to me, sir. Could you tell me your name? I already know the lady there."

"What, my daughter sleeping with all of you too?"

Greg and the other members of the SRU looked quizzically at each other. "No, sir. My team mate is currently dating" Greg was cut off by a snort.

"Dating?! A pretty word for 'fucking'. That's what all daughters who don't listen to their fathers do with every piece of crap they see." He sneered.

"Sir, I'm sure your daughter wouldn't do that. Would you?"

"No." Nikka spoke unhesitantly. "No."

"See? She said she wouldn't do that. And I think we'd all feel much more comfortable talking if you put that down. Wouldn't you feel more comfortable Nikka?"

"Yes. Please, dad."

Mr. Fletcher stayed where he was, moving one hand to tightly grip her forearm. "We're not going anywhere."

"Mr. Fletcher, please put down your weapon. I know we could work this out if only there weren't any weapons involved."

"Weapons solve the problem! With enough force, you can do anything!" He began to squeeze Nikka's forearm tightly and she winced.

"No, no. Weapons don't solve the problem, they only make it worse."

"Tell me how this makes it worse." Her father twisted her arm roughly and Nikka let out a loud cry, sinking to her knees with tears brimming in her eyes. "This shows the strong have power over the weak, and rule over those who need a master."

"But it also damages love. Isn't love important too?" Greg said, desperately trying to find some ground to stand on. "The more people who love you, the stronger you are."

"Love is weakness. Only fools love." Mr. Fletcher hauled Nikka back to her feet, tears rolling freely down her face twisted in pain.

"Love isn't a weakness. It's strength."

"Prove it. If you can prove it, I'll let her go."

"Love...love gives people strength to continue fighting cancer. Love gives people the strength to support each other through tough times. Love gives you the strength to stay with someone despite all of their annoying habits. Love-"

"Fine, you win." He hissed, seeing that he hadn't stumped Greg like he hoped. "Here you go."

He shoved Nikka forward and Sam darted forward to support her. "Can you walk?" he whispered.

"My arm...I think he broke it."

"Alright, let's get you down to the ambulance." Sam supported Nikka with one arm, blocking them from view with the shield clutched in his other arm. Sam escorted her to the building's entrance, where Lou waited with a medic at hand. They both rushed forward when they caught sight of Nikka, Lou's stomach turning into a cold ball of ice at the sight of the pain she was in.

"Can you tell me what happened, miss?" the medic asked, checking her over as Lou supported her, leaving Sam free to go back up.

"He slapped me, and then threw me on the floor. He pulled me up and he cut me," she managed to turn one hand to show the blood still slowly oozing out, "and he broke my arm."

"It looks like a clean break, but we'll have to do x-rays to be sure. Come on, I'll get you to the hospital."

Before the medic led her away, she lifted her head to meet Lou's worried gaze. She smiled weakly at him. "Don't worry about me."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." He promised as the medic led her through the doors.

Upstairs, things were going a little smoother. "Why can't we talk this over with our weapons out? That's how real men talk." Mr. Fletcher argued.

"Weapons make it harder for my men to talk. I'd feel much more comfortable talking without weapons."

"Well, if it would make you feel better." Mr. Fletcher threw the cleaver on the ground.

"Thank you." Greg nodded at Wordy, who walked up and handcuffed Mr. Fletcher.

"You're under arrest."

"How you feeling?" Lou asked Nikka, dumping a hastily filled bag of clothes beside her hospital bed.

"Better. It's going to be weird, having my arm in a cast."

"I bet." Lou replied, sitting down next to her on the bed. "Nikka...how'd he get in? There wasn't any sign of forced entry."

"It...wasn't forced." She ducked her head. "I thought you'd just forgotten your keys, so I just opened the door."

Lou felt anger bubble up inside him. Not at her, but at himself. "You got this beaten up because you thought it was me."

"Don't say it like that. It's not your fault." She soothed him, reaching for his hand with her normal hand. When he pulled away, she frowned. "It wasn't your fault, Lou."

"If you thought it was me, it is my fault."

"How is it your fault? Because I wasn't smart enough to check who it was? It was my own fault I got hurt, not yours!" Nikka snapped, causing Lou to turn his head sharply to meet her teary gaze. "If I hadn't been so stupid."

"You weren't stupid, just"

"How wasn't I stupid? I should have checked first."

"You trusted. That's all." Lou finished, ignoring her little interruption. "Do you trust me?"

"With all my heart."

"Then trust me when I say it wasn't your fault."

Nikka met his gaze with hers, trusting what she saw there. "If I have to trust someone, it might as well be the person I love."

"That's the spirit." Lou murmured, wrapping his arms around her. "That's my Nikka."


	19. Chapter 19

Here's another chapter of Discovering Hearts for everyone! I hope you'll enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

* * *

"Lou, I can walk just fine!"

"That's not what you were saying yesterday." He replied as he helped Nikka out the hospital door.

"I was in pain yesterday. I'm not today."

Lou held back a laugh. "You know I'm not going to give up, right? Might as well save your energy."

Nikka scowled at him but couldn't hold it long. "Shouldn't you be at work?" she asked, trying to change topics.

"I have the weekend off, remember? But I guess we're not going."

Guilt washed over Nikka before she could help it. "Sorry." She murmured, lowering her head as she climbed into his SUV, holding her broken arm carefully.

Lou frowned and tilted her head up. "Nothing to be sorry about, Nikka. Nothing." He kissed her forehead before shutting her door. Walking around and climbing in, he smiled at her in an attempt to cheer her up. "My place or yours?"

"Mine. I'd like to get some clothes."

Lou nodded and they drove in silence to her apartment. Nikka was lost in thoughts of yesterday, thinking over what had happened. Lou was also thinking about yesterday, though his thoughts were on a different subject. When the call had come through and he had realized it was Nikka's apartment, he had immediately felt a sense of dread overcoming in. And when he had seen her coming down the hallway yesterday, bleeding and holding her arm tight against her, he had been frightened. So, so frightened. Frightened that he might lose the person that was the dearest to him.

Lou shook himself free of his thoughts as he parked the SUV. "Ready?"

"I'll be fine."

They walked inside, holding hands. Nikka need the comfort that his warm hand in hers provided, the strength it provided. Opening her door, she could see that everything was exactly as she had left it. Stepping in, she took in the scattered clothes still on her bed, the dried blood on the floor. Her memories came racing back to her and she turned, burrowing her face into Lou's shirt as his arms came up around her. Hot tears slid down her cheeks as she stood there, wrapped in Lou's comforting presence.

Minutes later, she pulled back. "Sorry."

"Nothing to apologize for. Feeling better?" At her nod, he continued. "Go get some clothes. I'll clean up in here. I insist."

Nikka wiped away the remaining tears. "Thank you." She whispered, kissing his cheek before walking quickly to her bedroom.

Lou found the cleaning supplies he was looking for and set to work scrubbing at the blood, his thoughts churning again. Was it too fast, too forward? How would she respond?

He was so deeply into his thoughts that he didn't notice Nikka's footsteps. "Lou," his head jerked up to look at her, surprised. "I think you got it all." Her voice contained a hint of a laugh, he noted.

"I guess you're right. Hey, Nikka..."

"Yah?"

"Would you like to stay with me? While your arm is broken?" Lou didn't look up from his hands as the silence stretched between them.

"I'd...I'd like that." She admitted with a soft smile on her face. "I don't think I'd be comfortable staying here."

Lou felt a smile stretch on his own face. "You should probably get some more clothes then, right?"

"Right, mom."

"Hey, don't call me Mom." Lou stepped closer and tickled her. She began to laugh and try to fight back. They eventually ended up on the ground, laughing so hard they almost couldn't breathe.

After recovering, Lou pushed himself to his feet. "Need a hand up?" he asked, a smile on his face.

"Yes, please." Nikka took Lou's hand and he pulled her up. "Thanks."

"Anything for you."

Looking into Lou's eyes, she could tell that he meant it. "You're so sweet." She leaned up and kissed him, wrapping one arm around him. Lou kissed back gently, wrapping his arms around her.

When they broke for air, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Just hold me for a minute?"

"Of course."


	20. Chapter 20

I hope everyone enjoys! Thanks to **speedlesweetie** for the hazing ideas. And this is a record for me; _twenty chapters_! I hope I can keep it going to thirty!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

* * *

"How's your arm?" Lou asked Nikka as they walked.

"It's feeling alright. The doctor said that it will probably have to stay on for another four to six weeks. Then I'll be able to get off desk duty. Too much paperwork." She groaned, making Lou laugh.

"Poor Nikka." He joked, causing Nikka to pout and shove him slightly.

"Oh, aren't you nice? How would you like-shit!" Nikka swore as it began to rain.

"What?"

"I'm not supposed to get the cast wet. And it looks like it's going to pour." Even as Nikka spoke, the rain began to fall faster.

"Here." Lou shrugged out of his jacket and pressed it into Nikka's hands. "Keep your cast dry."

Nikka pulled the jacket on just as it began to pour. Lou took her hand and she began to run along with him, getting drenched the whole way. When they got back to his house, they were both soaked through their clothes to the skin.

"I guess maybe going for a walk wasn't such a good idea after all." Lou joked, shutting the door behind him.

"At least we got some exercise." She replied, stripping off his jacket. "Thanks for the jacket."

"No problem. You go get changed first; I'll just stand here and drip."

"Thanks." Nikka kissed his cheek before walking off to their room. She changed quickly and walked to the washroom. "All yours!" she called to him.

"Thanks." He told her, walking quickly into their room so that he wouldn't drip on the carpet. After changing, he noticed a hairdryer sound. He followed it to the washroom, where he found Nikka aiming it at her cast. "What are you up to?"

She looked up, a blush spreading over her cheeks in embarrassment. "Trying to dry my cast. It's kind of awkward to do, though."

Lou smiled and took the hair dryer from her. "Let me do it. It probably won't be as awkward to do."

"Probably." She agreed. "Thanks."

With that, she fell silent and soon the silence stretched on. Lou finally couldn't take it anymore and spoke. "It isn't that embarrassing, you know."

"Really? What, you've had something worse happen to you?"

"Yes, actually. For the hazing in the SRU, the guys filled my boots with cream. Shaving cream, so it was almost impossible to get out."

Apparently his story had the desired effect, and she started laughing. "Man, that is bad. I guess getting my cast dried isn't too bad."

"It isn't. I should tell you what they did to Jules. And hey, your cast is dry."

"It is. Thanks."

"Would you say you owe me, then?" he smirked as Nikka rolled her eyes.

"I suppose I owe you." She replied, leaning up to kiss him.

When they broke apart, he smiled at her. "That pays me back. Now come on, let's get something to drink." Lou led her out to the kitchen and poured her a glass of lemonade.

"Thanks." She said, leaning on the counter. "So, what did they do to Jules?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Nikka hit his arm playfully. "Of course I want to know! Spill!"

"Well, I suppose if you're sure. We put flour in the SUV vents and left them on full power, so when she started the SUV, she was covered in flour."

Nikka's eyes widened. "You didn't!"

"We did. Jules was so mad at us."

"I could imagine. Have I have told you about..." Nikka and Lou continued to share funny stories.

At one point, Nikka doubled over laughing and spilled her lemonade on Lou. "Hey!"

"Sorry!"

"I keep getting wet because of you, you know that?"

"Sorry." Even as she said it, she laughed.

"Sure you are." Lou said, rolling his eyes as he went to change.

"I am." She called to him.

"I believe you." He said, returning to the kitchen.

"Lou..."

"What?" he noted the change in her voice; the happiness was gone.

"I want to get a restraining order on my dad. I'm not going to feel comfortable for a while." Nikka shifted to wrap her arms around herself.

"I don't blame you." Lou whispered, stepping forward.

"Will you be there?" She asked, searching his eyes.

Lou pulled her close and looked straight into her eyes. "I'll always be there for you."


	21. Chapter 21

A new, slightly fluffy chapter in Discovering Hearts. I hope you enjoy! And much thanks to **speedlsweetie**, who came up with this idea.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

* * *

Lou awoke to the loud crash of a thunderstorm overhead and his eyes immediately searched the rest of the bed for its other inhabitant. Not seeing her, Lou pushed himself up and looked around, spotting her through the bedroom door standing beside the glass panel leading to the deck.

"Nikka." He called but there was no response. She had one hand resting on the glass and from where he was sitting, he could see that she was shivering.

Thunder crashed overhead again and she visibly winced, her gaze still focused outwards. Lou stood quietly and started to walk slowly over to her, calling her name softly, with no result each time.

Nikka was lost in a sea of memories, of former verbal lashings, of the sharp, almost overwhelming pain when he had broken her arm. Each time the thunder crashed overhead, she felt pierced by the memories. She could hear someone calling her name but she couldn't respond, too deep in her memories.

Lou's worry grew with each thunderclap as he stopped behind her. "Nikka." He whispered again, touching her arm gently. She turned, her eyes wide and brimming with tears as the rain began to pour down harder, announced by a loud clap of thunder. She gasped and stepped forward, searching instinctively for protection. Lou gave it to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her trembling form. "You can let it out."

Hearing those words, Nikka buried her face in his chest and began to cry loud, wracking sobs. Lou stood there, murmuring soft, kind words, knowing that she needed him there for support.

A few minutes later when she looked up at him, her sobs subsided, did he lead her away from the window. "Thank you." She whispered as they stopped in the kitchen.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked, digging out a cup and filling it with water.

"Yah." She said, watching him put the cup in the microwave. "I...really need that hug."

"Anytime you need a hug, I'm happy to oblige." He said, making her laugh slightly. She stayed silent as he fixed her cup. "Here." He told her, handing it to her.

"Hot chocolate." She said, looking at the cup.

"I thought you might want some." He watched her drink for a moment before asking her the question which had been on his mind since he awoke. "Nikka, what happened?"

"I had a nightmare and woke up. I didn't want to bother you, so I got up and went to the window. That's when the thunderstorm started. And I...just got lost in my memories." She spoke quietly, into her hot chocolate but Lou heard her clearly. "And, it was all him. All his screaming at me and his rare quiet anger and the pain of when he..."

Lou cut her off by pressing his finger against her lips. "You don't have to go through it again. Just a few days, and you'll be free."

"Will you come and watch?"

"Of course. I promised I'd always be there and I will."

"Thank you." She whispered, setting down her empty cup. "Can we go back to sleep?"

"Yah. And I'll keep away the nightmares this time."


	22. Chapter 22

Here's a new chapter for you! A huge thank you to **speedlesweetie** for her help!

Also, this will probably be the last chapter of **Discovering Hearts** till next Sunday because I'm away for a school trip from Tuesday to Saturday. So I won't have any time to write. The next chapter will be well worth the wait, I promise.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Alexis, Nikka and Mr. Fletcher.

* * *

Nikka swallowed nervously as she was sworn in. "I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

"Thank you, Miss Fletcher. Please, tell us about when your father broke your arm." Her lawyer said, smiling at her. His confidence didn't inspire her, though. Her father sat there, glaring at her and seeing him there was bringing out her weakness. "Miss Fletcher?"

Nikka snapped back to the present. "Sorry. I was packing for a trip with my boyfriend when there was a knock on my door. I presumed it was my boyfriend and opened the door, only to have my father push his way in. He saw my room, with clothes on my bed, and started bad mouthing my boyfriend. I started to defend him and he slapped me." Nikka paused for a breath, feeling her father's eyes boring holes into her. She started again, fighting to ignore him. "He threw me into the kitchen and that's when I told my neighbour to call 9-1-1. He pulled me up and raised a cleaver to my neck as I raised my hands to protect my neck. He pressed the cleaver against my hands and that's when the police came." She stopped again, feeling her resolve crumbling. She shut her eyes for a moment, trying to focus when the court doors opened.

Opening her eyes, she saw Lou walking up the aisle, followed by Spike and Alexis. He smiled at her and mouthed 'I know you can do it. I believe in you' to her. Taking a deep breath, she started to speak. "My father and the police exchanged words, and then he broke my arm. The police convinced him to let me go."

"Thank you, Miss Fletcher."

"May I ask some questions?" The opposing lawyer asked, standing.

"You may." The judge, an older man with a kind look about him, told the other lawyer.

"So, Miss Fletcher, why didn't you check the door?"

"I assumed it was my boyfriend, since we were going on a trip that weekend."

"So you voluntarily let your father into your house."

"I opened the door, but he pushed inside. So no."

The questions continue for a little while but Nikka managed not to break, focusing instead on her friends and loved one. When the lawyer ran out of questions, the judge called a fifteen minute recess so the jury could decide.

Standing outside the courtroom, she turned to Spike and Alexis. "Why did you guys come?" Lou asked, wrapping an arm around Nikka.

"We didn't want you to be alone. Neither of you have any 'blood' family but you have 'friend' family. Nobody should have to go through something like this alone. If I hadn't had Spike and his family, I don't know where I would have ended up. We're going to be here through thick, thin and everything in between." Alexis told Nikka, pulling her close for a hug.

"Thank you." Nikka whispered, fighting back tears. "Thank you."

Alexis patted her back before pulling back. "Smile, huh? Recess is just about over."

Nikka couldn't help but laugh slightly. "Lou, would you sit with me? You're allowed."

"Of course." Lou kissed her forehead. "Anything for you." He whispered before they stepped back into the courtroom.

In short order, the jury was standing up. "The jury has made their decision. Jury Speaker?"

"The jury has decided, based on the evidence and witness statements, that it is not safe for Mr. Fletcher to be anywhere near his daughter. The restraining order is necessary for her continued safety."

"Agreed. Mr. Fletcher, do you have anything left to say to your daughter?"

"Just one last thing." Mr. Fletcher turned his gaze on Nikka, and she fought to maintain herself. Lou squeezed her hand and she took a deep breath. "You damn bitch! I'm going to kill you!"

Nikka nearly flinched but Lou slid a protective arm around her. "You'll have to go through me first, Mr. Fletcher."

"Just wait your time, boy." A sneer appeared on Mr. Fletcher's face.

"Threatening a member of the law? That adds two years to your sentence, Mr. Fletcher. Goodbye."

Watching her father walk out of the room and hopefully her life, she felt tears threaten to overwhelm her. "Just hold on a little longer, alright?" Lou whispered in her ear, kissing the top of her head.

"Alright." She walked out of the courtroom to find Spike and Alexis waiting for them.

"He's not going to bother you anymore." Alexis said, a bright smile on her face. "Want to go out and celebrate?"

"I'm sorry, this just took a lot out of me. I'm just want to go home."

"That's fine. I can understand needing to get home. Give me a call anytime Nikka. Bye!" She called, waving over her shoulder as she and Spike left.

Lou guided her out a side door and to his SUV. Stepping in, he wrapped his arms around her. "You can let it out now." He whispered.

And she did. She cried out all her fears and her joys. "Thank you." She whispered, looking up with red eyes.

Lou simply lifted her hands to his mouth and gently kissed the scars left from the cleaver, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm never going to forget my keys."

Nikka stared at him for a moment before starting to laugh. Lou smiled, glad the she was feeling better. "Shall we go home?" he asked after she regained herself.

"How about some ice cream first?"

"Whatever you want." Lou told her, starting the engine. "Whatever you want."


	23. Chapter 23

Here's a new chapter for everyone! I hope enjoy it as much as I enjoyed my school trip this week! It was amazing!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

* * *

"Hey Nikka, did we get all the boxes out of the car?" Lou asked, smiling at his girlfriend who stood at the top of the stairs.

"Looks like it, now we've just got to unpack." She told him, beckoning him inside.

"You sure? I don't want you to overuse your arm." He told her, climbing the steps.

"It's fine, worrywart." She told him, poking his chest.

"Just making sure." He told her as he kissed her forehead.

"I know. Let's see how much packing we can get through tonight."

"Alright, you just tell me when you feel tired at all." Lou told Nikka, steering her inside and shutting the door behind him.

"Got it." She told, walking over to one of the boxes. "I'll start with this one."

Lou walked over to the box beside hers. "I'll start here then."

"Determined to keep an eye on me, aren't you?"

"You bet." Lou replied, making her laugh.

They worked through the boxes and Lou was out of the room for water when Nikka called to him. "Hey Lou, did you pack this box?"

"Hmm? That box? I'm not sure." Lou could feel his excitement building up. "Open it."

"Do you think I should?" Nikka asked, her hand hovering on top of the box.

"Just to make sure it isn't something of yours." He told her, crossing the floor to stand in front of her. "Go on," he told her, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

She nodded and flipped open the box. She took a sharp breath, her eyes locked on the ring. "Lou." She said startled, her eyes still locked on the ring.

Lou reached out and held onto her hands, the box between them. She slowly raised her eyes to stare into his and that gave him the courage to speak. "I love you so much, Nikka. I never want to be apart for you, not for a day or even a moment. Nikka, please marry me?"

Nikka stared at him, seeing the love in his eyes. "Yes." She whispered and instantly his face was lit up with a smile.

"Let me get that for you." He told her, taking the ring out of the box with one hand. Sliding the ring on one hand, he spoke softly. "I guess it's a good thing you didn't break your left arm."

Nikka laughed, stepping forward to kiss Lou's cheek. "You're the best."

"Um-hm." He murmured, turning to catch her lips for a gentle kiss. "Come on, supper time."

"Supper? How did you manage that?"

"Spike's sneaking skills can come in handy." Lou said, making Nikka smile.

"Those guys do care a lot, don't they?"

"We're their family. Now come on, do you want your food to get cold?"

"I guess not." Nikka said, letting Lou lead her to the living room. Seeing the food out on the living room table, her eyes widened. "Spanakopita and pastitsio." She said, stepping forward. "Thank you."

"I know it's your favourite, so let's eat before it gets cold." Lou said with a smile, leading her to the couch.

"I can agree with that." She said, sitting down and digging right in alongside Lou.

"And there's also Galactobureko for dessert." He said, pulling out their dessert.

"You're wonderful." She told him, leaning to kiss him softly.

"I think that praise goes to you, not me." He said, placing a piece of dessert on a plate for her. "Now, let's eat."

They finished supper and Nikka started to stand up, preparing to grab the plates. "Now what do you think you're up to?" Lou said, pulling her back down beside him.

"I'm just cleaning up so we can unpack a little more." She said, trying to stand again.

Lou, however, had a different idea. He tugged her back down and turned her so that she was lying down on the coach with back against it. Lou lay in front of her, holding her hands.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"Looking at my fiancé. Something wrong with that?" he asked, scooting closer to her.

Nikka swallowed. "I guess not."

"That's good." Lou whispered, leaning forward to kiss her, slowly deepening the kiss. "I plan to look at her all night."


	24. Chapter 24

Really short chapter of Discovering Hearts but I liked it and wanted to post it. I probably should have written Experencies but I have a timeline in my head right now and so this was needed. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka.

* * *

Nikka twisted, pulling the covers off her fiancé, lost in her nightmare. Lou slowly began to wake up as Nikka cried out in her sleep.

This woke Lou up and he immediately pulled Nikka into his arms. "Nikka, wake up. Nikka." He shook her as she cried out again, harder.

With a gasp, her eyes opened. They searched his face before she burrowed her own face in his shoulder. "You're alive." She murmured through the tears.

"Of course." Lou whispered, slowly stroking her back. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"I was this dark place and I needed to find you, Spike and Alexis. But I didn't see you. So I started to run, calling your names. I heard a gunshot and then I saw Spike, laying there dead. And I was so scared and then there was another shot and Alexis fell." Nikka continued to cry as Lou leaned them up slowly, so that she was resting on his lap. "And I was still running to find you, and then there you were but dad had a gun to your head. And I called out and you didn't notice and-and-"

Lou cut her off, one hand wiping away the tears. "I'm alive. I'm not leaving you. Anytime you yell at me, I'll listen."

The last sentence made her laugh. "Promise?"

"I promise." Lou shifted her so that he could wipe away the remaining tears with his thumbs. He hesitated for a moment before leaning in to kiss her gently, to take away all of her fear and pain with a simple kiss. It worked; after a moment she kissed him back, lifting her hands to run through his short hair.

They stayed that way until they couldn't breathe anymore and pulled apart. "We should get some more sleep." He told her, slipping one arm around her as he slid them back under the covers.

"You'll be there when I wake up?" she asked, drowsiness already taking over.

"I'll be the first thing you see." He promised, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "Forever." After speaking, he looked down to see that she was already asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. Lou whispered one last thing before drifting off to sleep himself. "I'll protect you forever."


	25. Chapter 25

Here's a new chapter for you! The next chapter is the wedding, just to let you know.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka and Bailey.

* * *

Nikka stood in the doorway, looking down at a sodden kitten at her feet. "What happened to you?" she murmured, crouching down to further examine the kitty. It's mostly white fur was flattened to its skin, with a few orange streaks showing on its head. Sighing, Nikka scooped the kitten up. "I guess I can't just leave you out here, huh?" she said, standing up slowly so that she wouldn't startle the kitten. The cat simply curled against her hand, making her laugh.

"What's so funny?" Lou asked, standing behind her with a towel around his neck and bare-chested.

"The kitten." She said lifting her hands so that he could see the little kitten curled in her hands.

Lou crossed the floor and ran a hand softly over the kitten's fur. "Poor little thing...we should try and dry it off so that it doesn't get sick."

"Alright. You want me to get some towels?" she asked, starting to slide the cat into his hands.

Shaking his head, Lou made sure that the kitten would stay in her hands. "I'll get them. She-I think it's a she- is already attuned to your scent. Just wait here, alright?" Nikka nodded and Lou leaned forward to kiss her forehead before backing away to get towels.

Nikka sat on the couch, holding the kitten in her hands softly, watching it watch her. She let out a slight laugh as it licked her hand with its rough tongue.

"I've got the towels." Lou told her, starting to dry off the kitten.

"Alright." She watched in silence while Lou dried the kitten gently. "You want to get her some milk?"

Lou only nodded and stood up again. He returned a minute later with a small bowl filled with milk. He held in so that the kitten could reach it and she licked up a few drops. Blinking sleepy eyes at them, she slowly fell asleep.

"She's cute, isn't she? I wonder what happened to her."Nikka said, shifting the kitten to set her on a dry blanket.

"I'd say someone abandoned her." Lou replied, wrapping his arms around Nikka.

"What should we do?"

"Would you like to keep her?" Lou asked, causing Nikka to turn and look at him.

"Are you sure? I'd like to-" Lou cut her off my kissing her softly.

"Then we can. We'll make an appointment with the vet first thing in the morning. Any idea what we could name her?"

"I'm not sure...what about Bailey?" she asked, leaning to rest her head against his chest.

"Then Bailey it is." He told Nikka, kissing her forehead. Looking over to the sleeping cat, he smiled. "Welcome to the family, Bailey."


	26. Chapter 26

Here's a (short!) chapter of Discovering Hearts for you! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka and Alexis.

* * *

Alexis walked down the aisle first, her long brown hair pulled up into a ponytail which complimented her light blue dress. She smiled at the two men waiting with the priest as she reached the front.

Nikka followed her in, all dressed in white. Her brown hair, which now reached her shoulders, had been curled and left to hang beside her face, uncovered. Lou locked eyes with her halfway down the aisle and he couldn't help but love her even more.

When she stood across from him, the priest began to speak. The ceremony was a short one and the priest soon reached the end. "Do you, Lewis Young, take Nikka Fletcher to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

The priest turned to Nikka. "And do you, Nikka Fletcher, take Lewis Young to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Then let the rings be exchanged." Alexis stepped up and gave Nikka Lou's ring, which she slipped onto his finger. As Alexis stepped back, Spike stepped up to give Lou Nikka's ring, which he slipped onto her finger.

"You may now kiss the bride." The priest informed them, a smile wide on his face as the two young newlyweds leaned in to kiss each other.

They stayed that way until an unknown voice broke them up. "Damn it, damn it! I'm always late." They pulled back, though Nikka rested in Lou's arms.

Studying the man walking down the aisle, her eyes widened and she pressed herself closer against Lou. "Marco Ferro...what do you want?"

"Your father sent me." The words hung in the air before he continued. "He wanted me to bring you back but...ahh. I'm not." He ran a hand over his face before shoving them back in his pockets. "I just caught the end and you looked...happier than I've ever seen you. I'll just tell your old man that your husband pushed me around too much. I've never been much on the physical side." He said with a slight grin to try and loosen the tension, as Spike had crossed behind Lou and Nikka to hold his wife protectively. "I'll just leave now, alright." He held up his hands and turned to leave.

Lou looked down to see his wife's eyes. "You alright?" he murmured, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Just a bit shaken." Nikka replied, smiling weakly at him.

"Can't have you walking, then can we?" he said with a smile, wrapping his arms around her so that he was carrying her bridal style.

"I guess." She replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, lighten up." He ordered her jokingly as they stepped outside. "The sun is shining, the birds are singing...smile already!"

Nikka couldn't help but laugh at Lou's expression. "You're amazing, you know that?" she asked as she gestured for him to put her down.

"I know. But then again, so are you." He replied, kissing her before setting her down on the ground.

"To the reception?" she asked.

"To the reception," he agreed, holding open the car door for her.


	27. Chapter 27

Hey, here's a new chapter for you! Dedicated to **speedlesweetie** for her help and requested by **sassyboots04**. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or its characters.

* * *

"Hey." Lou said as he stepped into the kitchen, causing Nikka to jump.

"You walk too lightly." She said with a soft smile on her face.

"Or maybe your just pacing too much. That's probably not good for the baby."

For the second time in seconds, Lou had surprised Nikka. "Ho-how did you know?"

Lou chuckled and tugged her into his arms. "I'm just observant, that's all. Now what's on your mind?"

"I want to go see him, one more time."

"After all he's done to you? Why?"

"Like a final goodbye." She replied, taking his hands in hers.

"I don't want him to be part of our new life together." Lou told her, squeezing her hands.

"He won't be. I promise."

Lou continued to search her eyes for a minute before sighing and lowering his head to kiss her. "Alright but I'm coming with you. Even if I'm not there when you speak to him, I'll be waiting right outside for you."

"Alright."

Two days later, Nikka stood face to face- well, face to bar- with her father. He stared at her with hate filled eyes but she stared into them anyways, Lou's presence behind her keeping her calm.

"What do you want, you slut?" he snarled, his hands wrapped around the bars.

"To say goodbye, father."

He snorted. "Goodbye, more like hello. You're going to need me soon, bitch."

"No, I won't." Her voice was strong. "I've made it this far on my own. My job's stable, my friends are behind me, and" she paused for a moment, looking up to meet her father's eyes "having a child with my wonderful husband."

Before he could reply, she turned and walked away, hand in hand with Lou. Ignoring his enraged screams and the clanging of the bars as he shook them angrily.

Standing outside the prison, she smiled at Lou. "I did it."

"You did it." He replied, pulling her close. "And he'll never come near us again."

"Never." She said in wonder, looking up to kiss his cheek. "I'll be with you forever."

"And isn't that worth celebrating? Spending the life you want with the person you love."

"What more can someone ask for?"

"A kiss, perhaps?" he replied with a wink, leaning down to catch her lips with his.

"Maybe a kiss." She agreed before kissing him again.


	28. Chapter 28

I have two things to do now. 1) Get on my knees and beg for forgiveness because I abandoned this story and Experencies simply because I was idea dry. I couldn't come up with anything for almost 3 months and I feel bad about it. Sorry! And 2) Why Lou? Why'd they kill off Lou? Why not Donna, for heaven's sake! Lou dying made me pull out the ice cream. So because of Lou dying, I can't continue this story for too much longer. I'm not sure how long but probably...it'll probably go to thirty chapters. He'll die in the 29th and things will be wrapped up in the 30th. Nikka (and her son) will be mentioned a bit still. And since I have another story to post (Greg, this time) eventually, you won't be stuck with just Spike. Not that there's anything wrong with Spike.

Disclaimer: I don't own Flashpoint or its characters. I own only Nikka and Bailey.

* * *

Lou was slightly panicked. He really hadn't meant to get home so late, but they'd been working and he'd had to stay. Now at 11:30, he was unlocking his front door and hoping he wouldn't awaken his sleeping wife.

No such luck. "Hey, long day?" Nikka asked, coming out the kitchen with her robe wrapped around herself, Bailey sitting next to her.

"Yah. Sorry about missing the appointment."

Nikka blinked for moment before laughing. "Lou, that's tomorrow."

Lou laughed too, rubbing a hand over his face. "It was a long day." He told her, stepping beside her to wrap his arms around his wife, slightly protruding belly and all. "Did I wake you up?" he murmured into her hair.

She smiled and snuggled into his grip. "No, I couldn't sleep. I wanted to make sure you got home safe first."

He pulled back slightly. "Well then, I won't keep you up any longer. Come on."

With that, Lou led his wife back to their room, Bailey trailing them there.


	29. Chapter 29

Here's chapter twenty-nine for you, about a week after twenty-eight. I realize chapters are coming slower now then they were before the break/three-month-long-hiatus but that's because I have more schoolwork then I did before. Also, I said there would only be thiry chapters but there will probably be more than that as I decided to break it into smaller bits rather than one huge chunk. So...roughly three more chapters. Maybe more, maybe less.

Disclaimer: I do not own Flashpoint or Lou. I own only Nikka.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR SEASON THREE!

* * *

Lou held his phone tight in his hands, tears combining with sweat on his face as he dialled his home number. The phone began to ring, and Lou was struck with a sudden fear, that she wouldn't be home and he wouldn't get to hear her voice one last time before the end.

"Hello." Nikka answered the phone and Lou gave an internal sigh of relief.

"Hey." He said, keeping his voice low so the others wouldn't hear.

"Aren't you at work?"

"Just on a break and wanted to check up on you and the baby."

She laughed, making his heart pound in his chest. Would she still laugh like that after he was gone?

"We're fine. I just wish you were here to help me pick out a name for our boy. I don't want to decide without you." Her voice cut through his thoughts and his heart stopped pounding and began to ache.

"Me too." He said sincerely, tears sliding down his cheeks and he struggled to keep the emotion out of his voice. "Listen, I've got to go but you know I love you, right?"

"I know. I love you too. See you tonight." She blew a kiss into the phone before hanging up.

Lou lowered the phone from his ear, gripping it tightly as he gathered his whirling thoughts. He didn't want to die but neither did he want two men to go down when only one had to.

"Goodbye, guys." He whispered before shifting the pressure in his left foot.

An instant later and the world was dark.


	30. Chapter 30

This was another tough chapter to right, but I had lots of help from **speedlesweetie**. She helped pick out the name. And the first two people who can tell me where Tristan's middle name came from gets a request for either Experincenes or a one-shot. So good luck!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or Lou. I own only Nikka, Alexis and Tristan.

* * *

Nikka forced herself to breathe slowly as the van sped through the streets, to where Lou lay dying on cold pavement. Tears clouded her eyes as she thought of the words she'd spoken to him only ten minutes before. He'd known that he probably wouldn't live and that's why he'd called her.

The van came to a screeching stop and she shoved the door open, nearly falling out in her haste to get to Lou. A hand steadied her, and she looked up into Ed's eyes.

"Come on." He told her, pulling her along by the hand. She followed, stumbling along as she wiped at her tears.

When they came to a stop, she dropped to her knees and grasped Lou's hand tightly. "Lou," she murmured, tears falling freely from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey." He gasped, fighting for breath. "Did you...come up with a name?"

"Tristan, Tristan Michael Young."

"It's strong name. Just like you. I love you." He forced the words out, pain almost overwhelming him.

"I love you too, Lou, oh please, plea!" she stopped mid-word as the light faded from his eyes. "No." She breathed, her mind refusing to accept it for a moment. "No!" she tried to pull him up into her arms but Ed knelt down, pulling her away before she could. She fought his grip as tears blurred her vision, trying to hold her husband again.

"Let it out." Ed whispered, holding her as her fists turned into loud sobs.

Minutes later, she lifted her head from his now soaked chest. "Thanks." She whispered her throat raw from the amount of crying she'd just done.

Ed nodded as Spike knelt beside them. "I tried," he murmured, his own voice raw with pain. "I tried as hard as I could. And it still wasn't enough. I'm so sorry."

Nikka looked up at him, at the pain in him and Alexis at his side. "You tried." She offered, "That's more than I could do."

Ed helped her to her feet and together the group walked away, leaning on each other for support.


	31. Chapter 31

Sorry this took so long! I just got assaulted by school work over the past week and I've been working through it, and on short, spare moments, on this. It isn't very long or good but it's better than nothing, right? And thanks to **speedlesweetie** who helped out with the godparents.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or make any profit from Flashpoint or any of its characters. I own only Nikka, Alexis and their babies. (Which sounds sort of weird, doesn't it? Anyway...)

* * *

Nikka watched with tears rolling down her face as they lowered Lou's coffin, covered with a Canadian flag, into the ground. She stood there for a moment before turning to walk away with everyone else who'd come; his team and family.

The group walked in silence, stopping by the cars. "Do you need anything?" Alexis asked softly, reaching out to hold her friend's hand.

Nikka took her hand, squeezing it. "I just want to ask you and Ed something. Would...would you two be our baby's godparents?"

"I'd be honoured." Alexis said, before Ed could speak.

"As would I." Ed told her.

"Thank you. All of you. You've all been so supportive. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Good thing you didn't have to try, eh?" Ed joked, trying to lighten the mood slightly. "Not like we'd leave you all alone."

Nikka smiled. "I know."


	32. Chapter 32

This is far too short to be a good ending. But as they say, short and sweet. It's certainly short and probably sweet, though more of a bittersweet, if only because of Ghost!Lou. I didn't plan to add him in but I ended up putting it in anyway. I hope you enjoy the end of Discovering Hearts. And before you start worrying, Nikka and Tristan will still be in the stories, just not with their own separate story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Flashpoint or any of the characters, I only own Nikka, the random nurse and Tristan.

* * *

"Here you go, Mrs. Young. Your little boy."

Nikka smiled wearily as a little bundle was placed in her arms. "Hey there, little guy." She whispered, smiling down at his little form. "You've got your dad's nose."

He gurgled and reached up. Nikka obliged him, giving him her finger to tug on. "Would you like to know your name, little guy? It's Tristan, Tristan Michael Young."

The baby, tired with her finger, had dropped it and was now staring up at her quietly. "I wish your Dad was here right now, Tristan." She murmured, tears building in her eyes. "But I'm sure he's watching over us."

And from high, high above them, Lou smiled sadly down at his family, a lone tear trickling down his cheek. "I'll always watch over you," he whispered, another tear following the first.


End file.
